Ben Equals T Plus Two
by BenXGwen Lightning Warrior
Summary: Started as an alternate telling of "Ben 10,000 Returns", this story will see Ben grow into a new sourse of power. "Can you project energy like your sister?" Indeed, he can and she's his cousin. (I own nothing excpt my OC.)
1. The Hands of Fate

**Author's Note: **This story was inspired by a prompt from Car54.

Chapter One: The Hands of Fate

As Ben drove his car, guided by the Ultimatrix, he smiled and reached over to Gwen. _This is how it should be._ The teen thought as he continued driving.

"I liked it better when I got to drive."

Ben shook his head. Kevin almost sounded like he was pouting or whining. Both of those situations made Ben laugh quietly to himself as Gwen looked at her boyfriend in the backseat disbelievingly.

"What are you hiding, Ultimatrix?" Ben muttered as he thought he saw flashes of an Omnitrix symbol in the holographic display from the faceplate.

The brunette teen looked at the device on his wrist and sighed. It didn't make any sense! Ben remembered distinctly. Multiple Omnitrixes could not exist in the universe because the pair would biofeedback on each other and blow the universe to bits. The only reason Albedo's copy of the Omnitrix didn't cause the end of the universe lay in its faulty construction as Azmuth explained after the incident.

Thinking back, Ben remembered how he helped Jerkface 10,000. _That could be it._ Ben thought. _I helped that Ben without any Omnitrix-related difficulties._

"Gwen, what if the Ultimatrix is picking up on an alternate Omnitrix core?" He asked as he looked at the redhead.

Gwen gave him a look.

"No, I'm serious!" He told her. "A Gwendolyn from another timeline took us to her future to give that Ben an attitude adjustment."

Gwen nodded. "You were able to still use your Omnitrix with his."

Ben hummed in affirmation. "We know Albedo is no Azmuth, so this could be a glitch in the Ultimatrix picking up alternative Cores and mistakenly labeling them as uncatalogued genetic samples."

Gwen smiled at Ben. "Really, Ben. You are full of surprises."

Kevin grumbled something before they got out of the car. Ben raised an eyebrow at Kevin's mutterings but said nothing. When they came to the door, Ben started looking for Big Chill.

"I'll phase through the door and unlock it from the inside."

Gwen nodded and said, "We need to leave this place as untouched as possible."

Kevin's mood only continued to sour. "If you two work so well together, what do you need me for?!"

He then grabbed Ben's arm, threw him to the side, and absorbed the steel of the door to form his finger into a key.

Ben only sighed and shook his head. _Even after six years, you STILL don't know about subtlety._ _Anyway, how the hell does that even work? You have to know the tumbler arrangement of the specific lock before you can generate a key to unlock it!_ Ben's anger flared as his mind flashed back to that day unbidden. _Yeah…great idea! Date the psycho who tried to kill you when we were kids just because you like his "clean" face!_

Ben shook his head and forced the anger away. "The problem the Ultimatrix senses is in the basement." He said aloud. "Museum…artifact that could end the world…why does this sound familiar?" A flash of Hex with the Archamada Book of Spells entered Ben's mind.

Gwen seemed to have the same thought. "I think I should take point." Gwen reasoned. "We know Mana and tech don't mix."

"Yeah…I don't want another universe-ending catastrophe on my hands." Ben and Gwen shivered at that, but Ben also lost a bit of light in his eyes. "Let's get moving. The sooner we find this thing, the better…"

Kevin truly seemed like a third wheel at this point and HATED it. _I'm the star! I get the girl, and Ben gets squat!_

Gwen shivered and spared her boyfriend a worried glance. _I don't like this. _Gwen thought. _The closer we get to this artifact, the more Kevin unravels._

As Gwen walked up to the gateway and touched it, she closed her eyes and focused. The redhead sensed her own energy, but it seemed distant and disconnected from her.

"Guys, this is weird." She said as she turned back to the two boys but didn't move her hand away from the stone circle. "I'm sensing myself, but there's something off with her. She seems disconnected from time."

Ben's eyes widened in intrigue and a hint of worry. "Can you use your energy to draw her to our timeline?"

Gwen nodded. "I think so, but it may take more power than I have alone to…"

Gwen stopped as she felt Ben's hand in hers while their energies flawlessly unified. Gwen couldn't help a shiver of delight at the exhilarating power she felt at that moment. _Absolutely no training, and he can do THAT?!_ Gwen thought passively. _Now, I know how Charmcaster felt when I was ten._

Together, the pair focused and felt their combined energies reach into the Hands and pull out a girl.

Ben smiled at the stranger as she landed on the floor of the museum.

"Where am I?" The redhead with a pony tail, yellow/red shirt, and rain capris asked the group as she looked around. "The last thing I remember is my boyfriend trying to protect me from a dark-haired British guy in a lab coat." The girl's face paled and took on a panic-stricken expression. "BEN?!"

Gwen knelt down to be eye level with her alternate self. "Calm down." The redhead sixteen year old told the younger version. "You're in a different timeline. That means…"

"…a different me, a different Ben, and…" The alternate's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Kevin! What have you done with Ben?!" The ten year old marched up and slugged Kevin. "I know you had something to do with this! You and Ben were quick friends when you first met…too quick. WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BOYFRIEND?!"

Everything froze when the alternate Gwen (A-Gwen for convenience) blurted out that question.

Ben blushed hardest out of the three teens and walked over to A-Gwen. "Um…in this world, we're cousins, Gwen."

"Yeah, we've been fighting together for about a year now: me, Kevin, and Ben."

A-Gwen raised an eyebrow and looked between the redhead and Kevin. "What's next?" She growled. "Is Vilgax going to ask Ben out on a date?!"

"I'm…nuanced." Kevin said as he got up and walked toward A-Gwen.

A-Gwen shook her head. "Oh…so you're a snake in the grass patiently waiting for a meal?" She asked as she looked back at the older redhead.

"It's not like that! I-"

"So the massive energy surge _I felt even outside of time _didn't tempt you?" She asked with a knowing look. "Why else would you go after an energy being like Gwen except to ensure an infinite supply for your energy addiction?"

A-Gwen saw Main Gwen shiver and take a half step back from Kevin. "I'm sorry…" She sneered. "Did I scare you? I meant 'habit'."

"You little brat!" Kevin growled as he charged her and picked her up by the shirt. "Paradox had EVERYTHING lined up for me to take everything from Ben while getting my fix and YOU FUCKED IT UP!"

With a roar, he attempted to throw A-Gwen into a wall, but she recited a spell to slow her down and give her time to push off the wall with her feet and launch herself at Kevin. With a scowl on her face and rage in her eyes, the young girl started beating Kevin.

Too stunned to react, the older redhead only watched as her cousin got between Kevin and A-Gwen.

"I almost put you down once, Kevin!" Ben growled. "The only reason I didn't is because Gwen stopped me." Ben shook his head. "She believed you were capable of change. However, she didn't see the psychopath you were BEFORE you mutated. I did."

Ben looked back at a shellshocked Gwen. The tears standing in her eyes called out to him and stirred Ben's fury. No one made Gwen cry! In a few seconds of eye contact, Ben asked his cousin if he should continue. When she gave a quick and shaky nod, Ben turned back to Kevin, went Ultimate Echo Echo, surrounded Kevin in a sphere of speaker pods, and unleashed their might. There was a sickening wet squelch from inside the speaker ball as the frequency matched resonance with Kevin's body.

Ben deactivated the Ultimatrix and sighed heavily at what he had to do. Then, he walked over and pulled Gwen into a gentle embrace.

"Ben, he…just…wanted…" Gwen tried to talk, but the trauma of her ex-boyfriend seeing her as nothing more than a drug supply broke her.

Ben said nothin and let her cry as he held her. _Gwen, I'll be here when you're ready._ Ben thought as he stood and let her weep.

Away from the cousins, a man in red Knight's armor appeared next to A-Gwen. He smiled, knelt, and removed his helmet.

"I think you've been away from home long enough, Gwen Summers." The kind man looked at her.

"Paradox, he…"

The knight simply nodded. "I know. I'll deal with my student." He then looked at the Hands. "First, I must return you and banish the Hands outside of time and space."

Summers sighed and looked at him. "I don't want to forget." She protested as she put her hand on the artifact. "Those countless ages without Ben… ownI now know how important he is to me."

Warrior nodded. "You won't forget, child." He walked up to the Hands and drew his sword. "Return home." He said softly as the blade came down and sheered the Hands in two before he and the broken Hands evaporated in white light.

**Please Read and Review.**

**Author's Note Two: **I originally wanted a different ending, but the story took on a life of its own. Also, I **MAY **continue this. At this time, I don't know yet.


	2. Pain

**Author's Note: **I decided to continue this story after all. I think I have an interesting twist in store for you. Enjoy.

Chapter Two: Pain

Ben and Gwen stayed silent for the majority of the ride home, Ben focused on the road while Gwen remained unusually quiet. The hum of the car's engine and the sound of tires on the road only echoed in Ben's ears and served to magnify the somber atmosphere around them. Ben looked over and felt his heart shatter at Gwen's sullen expression. Sensing eyes on her, Gwen looked up and blinked away waiting tears.

"Am I weak?" She whispered quietly.

A whisper from a female voice encouraged Ben gently though he barely registered it. _Comfort her, Benjamin._

An equally quiet but gruff and masculine voice seemed to respond to the female. _The monster's death was too quick! He should have suffered for a million years!_

Ben shook his head and unconsciously agreed with the gentler of the two. "Gwen, listen to me." Ben said as his voice carried a note of finality as he spoke. "You are stronger than anyone I know." His voice dropped to a comforting tone. "No one else would have tried to help Kevin. Yet, you had the strength to try."

Gwen shivered and looked at him. The tears shining in her eyes nearly tore Ben asunder. "…but you tried to help him when we were ten, and he attacked you!"

Her eyes widened.

_The Timewalker's effects on her memories are fading. Now, she will remember the anger of the boy._ The male voice explained.

_Timewalker…Serena called Paradox that! _Ben's mind railed. _Worry about those two later, _Ben told himself. _Help Gwen now!_

Ben looked at the redhead and squeezed her hand. "A lot can change in six years, Gwen." Ben smiled at her. "You were optimistic."

"Younger you was right though." She said softly. "They don't change that much."

Ben noticed something in that moment. "This goes deeper than just trying to help Kevin. Doesn't it?"

Gwen didn't have to answer verbally. Ben could easily see it in her face.

"Something about me in a heightened emotional state makes my power and energy harder to control." Gwen said calmly. "Kevin always seemed to enjoy picking fights with me." She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "At the time, I didn't understand why." She shivered. "Then, one night, I woke up with Kevin on top of me and slammed him into the wall with my energy before going back to sleep, convinced it was a nightmare."

Ben's grip on the steering wheel tightened so his knuckles turned white. Ben opened his mouth to comment, but Gwen cut him off.

"HE TRIED TO…"

Her eyes and hands glowed dangerously as trails of energy sparked around her eyes like bolts of lightning.

Ben could feel the power of her anger and stopped the car. Then, he quickly got out and hugged Gwen before the power in her body exploded with a scream of rage. Gwen's body disappeared in the glow of her power. Then, a ring of her blue energy exploded outward. Ben expected her power released in anger to hurt, but as the wave of magic washed over him, Ben felt a warm sensation flood his body and gently race through every cell in his body.

"That was clooosssseee…" Ben managed before her passed out.

Gwen stared at her slumped over cousin with his arms loosely around her as the blue energy around Ben gradually but quickly faded. Gwen couldn't help the intrigue that raced across her face as she watched the scene. However, a soft electronic sparking sound drew Gwen to the brunette's wrist with the Ultimatrix. The device hissed and cracked angrily with Gwen's blue energy, smoking faintly with the light scent of burnt circuits. Gwen's eyes widened at the sight.

"Ben's powers…"

Gwen looked down in a moment of morning because she didn't know how she would break the news to him when he woke. Slowly, Gwen reached over and gently grabbed the device. It rattled at her touch and fell from Ben's wrist.

As the Ultimatrix clattered to the ground, the white-blue light of a teleportation beam appeared next to it. A familiar sigh of frustration came from the beam before the voice's owner stepped out of the beam. He walked over to the device of inferior quality and shook his head.

"The dampeners weren't built to take such a flux in energy into Benjamin." The diminutive Galvan explained. "If he hadn't attempted to absorb your energy however…" The Creator of the Omnitrix shivered. "…it would not have ended well for anyone."

Gwen paled at the thought and looked over at Ben. _He took all my rage and anger without a thought._ She lamented ruefully. "Is he going to be ok?"

Azmuth looked at Ben for a moment. "He will recover. Your family seems to be remarkably stubborn in that regard." Azmuth said with a rare smile. "He will need you more than ever when he wakes, though."

Gwen raised an eyebrow.

Azmuth facepalmed. He often forgot things obvious to him were commonly less obvious to others, even his own kind. "Your grandmother complained of Ben unable to use your and her powers. Correct?"

Gwen wanted to ask how he knew about that but figured Azmuth had the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix AI constantly feed him situational data while in use. After all, how good of a scientist would Azmuth be if he didn't constantly collect diagnostic data from the device of his creation? Instead of voicing the question, she agreed with him.

"Ben's latent Wizard heritage simply needed to be 'jumped off'." Azmuth looked at Ben who seemed to be peacefully sleeping in his cousin's lap at this point. (Gwen moved Ben from his position around her to make herself more comfortable while she waited for Ben to wake.) "His body is currently adjusting to the Magic…" Azmuth seemed to unconsciously stiffen at the word. He didn't like anything that couldn't be understood logically. "…coursing though his cells."

Gwen only nodded and brushed a few locks of hair out of the boy's eyes as he slept. "Thank you, Azmuth."

The First Thinker shook his head and lightly touched the inert Ultimatrix. "No, thank you, Gwendolyn. I've been wanting to fry Albedo's monstrosity since he stole and modified my original design." The light of the teleport beam gradually surrounded Azmuth and the defunct Ultimatrix. "Evolutionary Function…pure-" Azmuth's rantings soon stopped and silence filled the space around the cousins once again as the beam took him back to Galvan Prime.

_I hope you wake up soon, Doofus. _Gwen thought in slight worry as she strapped Ben in his passenger seat and began to drive back home.

_Ben looked around the black void of what should be Alien X's mind in confusion. "Serena, Bellicus; what's going on?"_

_The Voice of Love and Compassion looked at Ben with a sad expression. "When Gwen released her power, we took shelter in your mind, Ben."_

_Belecus growled at him. "In your arrogant rush to save your cousin, our home in Alien X's DNA and the Ultimatrix as a whole were DESTROYED!"_

_Ben stumbled back at this revelation. "The Ultimatrix is…destroyed?!"_

_Serena nodded. "Do not fret, Ben."_

_Belecus glared at Serena. "Do not fret. DO NOT FRET?!" His glare turned to Ben. "Because of YOU we are stranded in your mind, TENNYSON!"_

_Ben held up his hands. "I didn't want this for you, but consider this, Belecus." Ben said calmly, though his control was in danger of fading. "You and Serena still live, and you live in a wizard's mind!"_

_Serena seemed surprised by Ben's bit of knowledge. "How do you know?"_

_Ben laughed in spite of the tense situation. "It's my body, Serena. I instantly became aware of the shift when the Magic didn't harm me and was instead absorbed."_

_Ben sighed and looked down. "Why do you fight?"_

_The two personalities looked at Ben. "We are opposites, Human."_

_Ben smiled with a melancholic note to it. "You care for each other and are able to spend eternity together. I envy you."_

_Belecus considered Ben's statement. It puzzled him. Why would someone want to be locked away for eternity with their opposite?_

_Serena smiled at Belecus. "He loves her, dear. To be together for eternity would be his ultimate joy."_

_Ben smiled. "Naturally, you would understand, Serena." He said with a nod of thanks._

_Serena's face took on a confused expression. "If you love her so deeply, why not tell her?"_

_Belecus responded for Ben. "Humans fear what they do not understand. Fear can lead to anger if given the right circumstances. If Ben were to admit feelings for his cousin, he could lose his family due to their anger."_

_"We could guide him, Belecus; help him with this problem." Serena offered._

_"Considering the situation and the emotions that would be involved…" Belecus grumbled. "…I agree."_

_Ben stood in surprise. These two rarely agreed on anything-except a mutual hatred of Paradox which Ben began to adopt after he heard how Paradox screwed with Gwen's head._

_"Awaken, Ben." Serena said softly. "Gwen worries about you."_

Ben groaned and began to stir in the passenger seat of his car. "Gwen…" he whispered softly.

Gwen felt the corners of her mouth rise at Ben's voice. "Ben! Are you ok?!"

Ben put his hand on his head and hissed in pain at his throbbing head. "Not so loud, Dweeb!"

Gwen shook her head and laughed. "Sorry. I'm just happy you're awake. After the Ultimatrix…" She trailed off.

Ben squeezed her hand with the one that formerly held the alien device. "I know. Serena and Belecus filled me in."

Gwen looked at Ben as if he was crazy. "The Alien X personalities are in your head now?"

Ben nodded. "They jumped ship…" Ben heard Serena giggle at him for some reason but ignored her. "…just before I unintentionally cooked the Ultimatrix."

Gwen sighed. "Did they tell you what the wave of Magic did to you?"

Ben shook his head as his eyes glowed with green energy. "They didn't have to tell me." He told Gwen calmly as the same energy dissipated. "I felt the change when the energy hit me."

Gwen nodded. "Well, that makes things easier."

Ben realized something. "Grandma called the place she was from 'Anodyne'. What if Anodyne is just another name for Legerdemain?"

Gwen shrugged. "It would make more sense for Magic and its natural Users to be Humans from an alternate dimension instead of aliens." Gwen stated. "The reason I hated the idea of being part alien…it felt so wrong! My instincts told me she was lying!"

Ben looked at Gwen. "Let me ask you this. Did you think of a reason why she might lie?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow at Ben. Then, she smirked. "Serena help you with that one?"

Ben looked incredulously at Gwen, but his attempt to play it off quickly broke. "Alright! I'll give you credit! It was Serena! Happy?"

Both females smiled faintly. "Yes."

Ben blinked and shook off the mild creepiness of the knowledge Serena and Gwen unknowingly spoke in sync.

The question posed by Serena via Ben made Gwen start thinking from a different perspective. "The Secret of Magic has always freaked people out." Gwen thought back to the Salem Witch trials. "Just like Grandpa Max, she lied to protect us."

Ben nodded. "That makes sense."

Ben looked out and saw they were back at Gwen's house already. Ben felt his stomach drop. He didn't want to leave Gwen yet. Maybe it was their Magicks interacting with Ben unable to control his energies yet.

"We need to let Mom and your parents know." Gwen said as she motioned for him to follow her inside.

"What?"

"About me training you to use Magic."

Ben felt his cheeks heat up as Serena and Belecus quietly laughed at Ben's misunderstanding. _It's not funny, you two!_ He growled mentally as he followed Gwen inside the house.

"Why not drop me by my house?"

Gwen looked over at Ben, her eyes glowing with blue energy as she used Magic to give herself night vision. "I'm beat, and I thought you wouldn't mind."

Ben could feel a hint of irritation from Gwen as she looked at him. "Oh, no, it's not a problem."

Inside the house, Ben suddenly realized the house was dark. He and Gwen seemed to be the only ones awake. Ben looked at the clock on the living room wall.

_0239…This is gonna look weird when I wake up in Gwen's house to the shock of Aunt Natalie and Uncle Frank._ With that thought driving him, Ben pulled back the covers on the bed in the guest room, climbed in, and drifted off surprisingly easily for the headache he knew would come in the morning. Part of him didn't care. He was close to Gwen; that's all that mattered.

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	3. The New Regiment

Chapter Three: The New Regiment

Ben woke to someone shaking him. The teen groaned in aggravation. When he tried to put the pillow over his head, Ben felt a hand grab the pillow and throw it away.

"Wha-" Ben groaned.

"Day One of training, Ben." Gwen told him. "Get a shower and get dressed. Then, meet me out in the back yard."

Ben shook his head but sat up and slowly walked to the vacant shower. The hot water from the shower helped Ben wake up and loosened his muscles. As his mind booted up, Ben sighed. For some strange reason, he felt remarkably well rested in spite of the fact he only had a few hours' sleep. Once out of the shower, Ben toweled off and walked back to the guest room where he found the stash of his clothes kept in the guest bedroom for emergencies and quickly dressed. As Ben looked out the window in the room, he noticed the stars still twinkled in the clear sky. In spite of the early hour, it felt peaceful.

With mild excitement over learning Magic driving him, Ben quietly slipped out of the house and met Gwen. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Gwen calmly sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed. Her brow rose as he approached.

"Sit next to me, Ben."

Ben listened and sat but was confused as to how Gwen knew he was there specifically.

"Everything living has a Mana signature." Gwen explained. "Mana is the source of Magic."

Ben looked at Gwen as she opened her eyes. "Like Dragon Ball's Ki?"

Gwen laughed. "Kinda but Mana originated somewhere other than Earth. Also, Mana is much more refined."

"Legerdemain…" Ben muttered. "When you say 'more refined'…?"

Gwen frowned. "The key to Magic is accessing Mana inside, like Ki, but it's more than just calling one's attack and screaming like a banshee."

Ben looked at her. "Charmcaster's Spellbook…"

Gwen nodded. "Those who are inexperienced with the art need a conduit to effectively use Mana. Spells order the Mana into a useable form instead of the disorganized energy that naturally resides in living beings."

Ben smiled and focused, his eyes gradually closing as he took a deep breath and felt tension leave his body. Like little knots all over his body, Ben felt the energy within disentangle and become more or less linear. Along with this feeling of freedom, Ben felt power race through his body.

Gwen nodded in approval as she saw Ben's eyes glow green with energy. "Good…you're unlocking it."

Ben looked at her and felt the tension return as the power fled from him. "Aw…man! I had it."

Gwen placed a gentle hand on her cousin's shoulder. "It takes practice and focus to be able to will Magic to the surface on command, Ben." The redhead smiled at him. "You'll get it."

_Ask her to spar, Ben._ Belecus suggested. _I believe I know your problem._

Ben frowned, shrugged, charged Gwen, and threw a punch. The idea seemed strange to him. Maybe Belecus thought a state of aggression would allow Ben easier access to his Mana. Whatever the reason Belecus wanted Ben to fight, the more experienced fighter caught his punch easily and looked at Ben in confusion until she noticed the sparks of green Mana in his eyes. _Of course, he would be a Combat Magus…_

Gwen grinned and pressed her attack. If her thinking was correct, it would explain a few things namely how he fought so well without formal training. Thinking of training made Gwen realize something as she and Ben danced in their duel. Ben could only read her attacks so well because he knew her and as such could unconsciously counter for her movements and strikes. Once satisfied she'd seen enough, Gwen knew exactly how to put his talents to use, and the structured drills given under the tutelage of a sensei would help hone Ben's focus and allow him to access his new power more freely as an added bonus.

Ben proved to be able to fight her to a draw. Under normal conditions, such an accomplishment would be impressive, but Ben's nature as a Combat Magus made fighting someone he knew well as easy as breathing. His ability to use even primarily defensive aliens in an offensive manner, like Cannonbolt for example, again pointed to his then latent status as a Soldier Wizard.

Ben looked at Gwen in shock as she called the match. "How did I…? I didn't even think about fighting you!"

Gwen nodded. She pulled out Charmcaster's spellbook and waved her hand over it to enlarge the book enough for Ben to read clearly. "This was Charmcaster's grimorum." She said softly. "It's not just a mage's personal spellbook but also their notebook and textbook while being taught Magic."

Gwen waved her hand again, and the pages turned with a gust of wind. "There are four classes of Magus." She pointed to the first picture which reminded Ben of a classic magician. "The first is called an _Omnium Artium Magus._ This type of Magus is much like me and Charmcaster. We're in the middle with no real specialty."

As Ben pointed to the opposite page, he felt a chill go down his spine. "Apostates," Ben read quietly. "These users ignore the laws of Magic that govern its use in the bounds of Legerdemain and beyond. 1) Magic is never to be used to harm innocents. 2) Draining Mana from living creatures is strictly forbidden. 3) Killing another person outside of self-defense or the defense of others is inexcusable."

Gwen looked at Ben as they shared the memory of Ben killing Kevin from Ben's point of view.

"You killed him to defend me, Ben." She squeezed his hand and looked at him. "Don't ever doubt that you did the right thing."

Ben looked at Gwen. "How can you be so sure?!"

Gwen pulled him close to comfort him. "I've seen what happens if I stayed with him." The redhead shivered at a recurring nightmare she'd had many nights before. "I don't…"

Ben smiled softly at her. "That's all over now." He told her. "Kevin's gone."

Gwen didn't sound convinced when she said, "Yeah, he is."

Serena noticed this and felt Ben open his mouth to confront her about it. _Don't! _Serena warned._ Prying will only wound her further._

_Ask her about the wizard with the blade. _Ben could feel Belecus smile which was admittedly odd for who Belecus was as the Voice of Rage and Aggression. _He looks quite menacing._

Ben quickly shut his mouth and tapped the next page with a winged wizard on it. "Fye?!" Ben asked in shock.

Gwen laughed. "These are Healers." She told him. "They are the rarest and longest-lived of Mages." She said. "They are primarily physicians with Elemental Magicks of Earth and Water." Gwen explained.

Ben turned to the sword-bearing mage and sighed. "Belecus wanted to know about this one. Is he a soldier or something?"

Gwen nodded. "They are called _Stadontoi Magi_ and specialize in combat and elemental Magic associated with fire."

"Heatblast really did feel like a second skin…" Ben trailed off with a frown as he rubbed the bare patch where the Ultimatrix rested just yesterday and found himself lost briefly in thought until Gwen's voice pulled him back.

The redhead laughed lightly. "The Omnitrix could dampen your Mana, but it couldn't quell your nature."

Ben laughed quietly in agreement with his cousin. "I'm Ultra Ben no matter how the Omnitrix tried to change that!"

"'Ultra Doofus' is more like it."

"Come on." Ben said as he walked up to Gwen with a malicious smirk on his face. "You know you would go nuts without me."

As he touched Gwen's shoulder to further tease her, Mana crossed through from both of them and sent shivers of delight through the teens' bodies.

"What…what was that?!" Ben asked breathlessly.

"I don't know." Gwen admitted as she looked at Ben a little scared.

"We'll figure it out later. Right now, we need to head to school." Ben suggested as he walked to his car.

"Let's walk to school." Gwen told him. "There's something I want to talk to you about on the way there, and with your new Magus powers, exercise will be your best friend, especially while your Mana is still relatively chaotic."

Ben gave her a look of disbelief and froze.

"Otherwise, you blow a hole through the English classroom." Gwen said as her cheeks grew red at the memory.

"Yeah, right when I started fifth grade, you suddenly showed with no warning."

Gwen looked away from Ben and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Now, you know why." Gwen laughed. "I'm just really happy Grandpa was on standby with a cover story."

"Gwen, how am I going to keep that from happening?" Ben asked. He really was worried. These powers weren't tech based and were much harder to control when/if they activated. He needed to know how to minimize the risk as much as possible.

Gwen smiled. "If you want to, I could ask my sensei to see if he will let you join the dojo where I practice karate." She said as she shrugged. "It will help control your Mana, and you'll get combat training, too."

Ben didn't know what to do in that moment. He could hear Serena lightly laughing at his undoubtedly slack-jawed expression and hoped he had more control than he feared he had.

"I would love to, Gwen." He said as his hand found its way into hers. Instead of the shock that came with the earlier contact, this mingling soothed Ben, and he could share he saw Gwen's shoulders relax at his touch.

Ben's unconscious worries about JT and Cash roused Belecus. _Who are JT and Cash, Ben? _The Voice asked with a growl.

_They are the local bullies who tormented me when I was ten._ Ben shook his head. _Thor guys know exactly how to push my buttons, and with my new, currently unstable powers, that could be dangerous._

Serena chimed in. _Tell me. What did you feel while you held Gwen's hand just now?_

_I felt peace…as if nothing in the world could touch me._

Ben felt Serena smile. _Can you tell me what manifested this peace?_

_Gwen…she brought it._ Ben admitted. He couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed at the exchange in his head.

_If you maintain focus on thoughts of Gwen when those boys pester you, _Selena encouraged. _You will maintain control._

Ben took a breath and nodded before he looked up at the school and heard Gwen next to him.

"Needed a pep talk with Serena and Belecus?"

Ben shook his head. "Even if I didn't need it, it's not like I can't hear them." Ben's attempted joke fell flat, but Gwen smiled anyway.

Suddenly, she pushed a bit of her Mana into him. "If you need me at any time during the day, I'll know."

"What'd you do?!"

Gwen smiled. "Don't worry, Doofus. I gave us a temporary Teacher-Student Bond. If you feel your Mana building to critical, just push at it. I'll take it and disperse it for you."

_And your girlfriend pulls you out of the fire,_ Belecus said with a grunt. _I really wanted to watch you blush JT and Cash._

_You may still get your wish._ Ben growled as he walked into the school as he and Gwen parted.

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	4. The Dam Breaks

**Author's Note:** This is short chapter, but it's something I really wanted to address and felt needed its own chapter.

Chapter Four: The Dam Breaks

Ben braced himself for the school day like he would any other day and sighed as he walked up to his locker to fetch his books for his first class: Trigonometry. Ben shook his head and laughed. _You wouldn't think math would come in handy in crime fighting, but a little time with Grey Matter taught me a lot._ Ben thought. He grew to work and learn things as Grey Matter and to a lesser extent Brainstorm and found he retained and understood what he learned as these aliens, even in his human form. From that point on, school became less of a bore to him. He didn't enjoy it with his active mind wanting to do anything but sit still, but tutoring in his unorthodox manner helped Ben appreciate learning.

No, the reason truly hated school started walking up to the brunette as he closed his locker door and turned around.

"What do you want, Cash?"

The bully's eyes unconsciously traveled to Ben's unoccupied wrist before he spoke. "Where's your watch?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Manufacturing defect, I had to send it back to the watch company." Ben said with a shrug.

Cash grinned. "All your little alien pals are gone." Cash cracked his knuckles. "This will be so much easier, then!"

JT looked at Cash in fear. "Dude, you need help. That was just a dream, man! There's no Squidguy after Ben, and his redhead girlfriend is not a sorceress."

Ben blushed at the thought of Gwen as his girlfriend and looked at JT in surprise for a moment, but his glare returned to Cash quickly, the young wizard's eyes glowing faintly at the edges with the veiled threat of power as he spoke. "Don't try it, Cash," Ben warned. "Bigger threats than you have picked a fight and failed."

Cash ignored him and threw a punch. Ben quickly dodged and smiled faintly as Cash's fist slammed the locker hard. Ben couldn't help a laugh as he watched Cash nurse a most likely fractured hand and slipped away to class.

On his way to class, Ben felt his Mana surging in response to his anger and tried to force it down. The current of energy only bobbed back up to the surface like a cork on top of a pond. This time, memories of Xenon came up with the surge of Mana and almost knocked Ben to his knees with the pain, anger, fear, and regrets of that day new as if it happened only a day ago instead of six years.

_Why now?_ Ben thought in confusion as he did his best to control his emotions and the unpredictable flow of Mana that seemed to accompany them.

Serena spoke with worry in her tone as Ben sat down for the class. _Is that boy truly mentally unstable?_

Ben shook his head. _It actually happened a few years ago before I took off the original Omnitrix. _Ben told her mentally. _Vilgax came calling after the first day of school a week after Gwen and I got back from space._

Serena wondered if the trip into space had anything in connection with the memories of a strange world infested with Florauna that flashed across their shared mind when Ben became disoriented and almost fell, but she didn't want to cause another episode and didn't not push the subject.

Belecus decided to inject his own opinion into the conversation. _If it really did happen, why doesn't he piss himself every time he sees you?_

Ben stopped a laugh to keep from disturbing the class as his teacher went through the lesson. _Cash and JT probably suppress the memories of that night. _Ben explained._ At their core, bullies are cowards, dragging down others to make themselves look better by comparison. As long as they are in control, they act all tough; but as soon as someone bigger, like Vilgax, shows up; they will run like pansies._

_A little aggressive behavior straightens them out… _Belecus said with a smug tone.

Ben rolled his eyes. _You meet aggression with aggression, and it will only result in a vicious cycle. _Ben sighed. _A balance of aggressive and compassionate responses would be best in such a situation._

Serena seemed to agree with Ben. _That's a good point, Ben. Oh, and the teacher is calling on us._

Ben snapped out of his internal dialogue and looked up. Years of daydreaming his way through classes prepared Ben for getting out of this embarrassing situation. He quickly scanned the board.

"That's…impossible discounting imaginary values." Ben rattled off with a note of satisfaction at the look on the teacher's face. He got up and changed as a small detail in the problem before he calmly solved the corrected problem. "There, now the problem makes sense."

All the students in the room stared at Ben as if he had two heads.

"Right…Uh…thank you, Ben." The teacher said nervously.

Belecus laughed. _You sounded like your cousin just then._

_Don't remind me._

Serena chided Belecus. _Stop torturing the boy! I think it's sweet._

Ben got up a moment before the bell rang. When it went off, the bell changed in Ben's mind to the sound of an explosion. Ben looked down at his bare arm to see the Omnitrix with a small red circle in the center with orange covering the rest of the dial as students calmly shuffled around the frozen brunette.

A soft hand on his shoulder broke Ben out of the seeming trance. He flinched away and whirled around on the person who touched him to see a bewildered Mrs. Xanders behind him.

"Ben, are you alright?" The older woman asked with concern in her tone.

Ben looked down at his arm for a moment to see it bare. Then, he nodded slowly and smiled at her. "I'm fine." He assured her. "I just had a rough weekend."

When Ben turned to walk out of the class, Gwen met him at the door with a worried expression.

"You called to me when the bell rang." She explained. "Are you alright?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "I did?"

Gwen nodded. "I felt the ripple in our Bond, Ben."

Ben quickly looked at Gwen and mouthed "not here" before the duo when to the relatively vacant break area outside of the school.

"Cash tried to fight me when I was getting ready for class." Ben's voice grew low and distant. "I tried to push back the chaotic Mana, but it brought back Xenon." Ben looked at her, his face white. "The bell went off to change classes, and I freaked out." Ben whispered, his body starting to shake with sobs.

Gwen looked at Ben. There was only one thing she knew that could so easily shake Ben to his core. "Give me your hands and relax."

Gwen's soft voice compelled Ben to do as instructed.

However, Gwen wasn't prepared for the agony that rushed forward with Ben's unkempt Mana. The redhead felt his pain, anger, and self-loathing as if it were her own when she attempted to reach out and begin straightening the Mana within Ben's body and bleed off any excess.

"Ben," Gwen whispered as she looked up after the majority of the Mana within Ben returned to an orderly form. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal." Ben told her as he looked her in the eyes.

Gwen glared at him as her eyes glowed a threatening blue. "'Not a big deal'?!" Gwen looked at him with a mix of anger and hurt in her eyes. "Ben, you are my cousin; and apart from Grandma Verdona and Grandpa Max, we are the only ones we can rely on." She sat down on a bench in the middle of the open area. "Please…talk to me."

Ben looked at her and took a deep breath. "It would be easier to show you."

Focusing on his memories of Xenon, Ben pushed them toward the Bond and knew when they connected to Gwen because his mind began to play the memories like a movie from his perspective. _Gwen pushing him out of the way too quickly for Ben to know what happened. Gwen dragged down by the monsters.Ben's anger flaring as he activates the Omnitrix in spite of Myaxx and Tetrax's protests. Pounding the hatch as Four Arms until the watch times out, deflecting blame, and grimly accepting it just in time to meet Azmuth and pound the Galvan's mech suit to pieces as Cannonbolt. Fighting Vilgax and waiting for death to claim him._

Gwen put her hand on Ben's shoulder, but instead of rejecting the touch like he had with Mrs. Xanders, Ben found the touch of his cousin extremely comforting in that moment. "Thanks, Dweeb."

"Anytime, Doofus."

As he enjoyed their close proximity, Ben felt eyes watching them and chuckled. "Do you want to spar, Gwen?" He asked. "We have about fifteen minutes before next class."

Gwen looked over and saw JT and Cash smirking at the pair. "I'd love to, just to get those two jerks to stop bothering you."

"Keeping it in the family, eh, Tennyson?" Cash mocked.

Ben's fists tightened and green sparks of Mana jumped from his balled fists. Then, Ben and Gwen stood and walked to opposite sides of the dirt area. In a flash, the sparing match began as Ben and Gwen thew punches and kicks slower than their normal speed of fighting, but still faster than JT or Cash could hope to be. At the pair fought, Cash began to shake as he watched both pairs of eyes began to glow brightly. Blue and green orbs of light completely overshadowed the pairs eyes as they were drawn into the combat and went even faster with their attacks. Then, Ben winked at Gwen and said, "Facio Gravis!"

Gwen slammed into the dirt and sighed as she glared up at Ben but didn't bother struggling because she knew the spell wouldn't allow her to get up until Ben canceled it. "Did you have to use Magic to win?" She asked with an annoyed tone as Ben helped the redhead to her feet.

"No," he gestured over to the two spectators with their mouths hung open in shock. "I just needed to let those idiots know who they're messing with."

Gwen nodded in understanding but glared at him all the same. "You'll pay for that when we face each other in the dojo, Doofus!"

Ben chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Dweeb."

Ben and Gwen walked up to a motionless JT and Cash. The boys seemed frozen by the fury on display from the cousins during their fight.

Gwen turned to the boys, her eyes glowing with anger, and made an "I'm watching you." Gesture with her hand before she turned and caught up to Ben to join him in their next class.

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	5. Rumors

**Author's Note:** I've been binge watching "Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles" recently, so much of the chapter ties into that show. I highly recommend giving it a watch. (I own nothing.)

Chapter Five: Rumors

Cash shivered as he walked back to class and shook his head to try and clear the images of Gwen's glowing blue eyes out of his mind. JT looked around the hall in confusion, unsure if what he saw was true.

"When she looked at you," the brown haired boy asked. "Did her eyes glow blue?"

Cash looked at his friend and nodded. "You don't think she's a robot. Do you?"

JT gave his friend a flabbergasted look. "That's in the movies, Cash! Besides, Terminators have red eyes, not blue. In addition, they usually zero in on their target objective and chase it with everything they have. Also, their programming means they can't blend into social situations well because they can't react spontaneously like people."

Cash glared at JT and looked ready to punch him. "There was one Terminator with blue eyes, and she…may have been with John. How's that for social development, JT?"

The boy in question looked at him and nodded as realization donned on the bespectacled boy. "I almost forgot about Cameron."

Cash's eyes widened for a moment, imagining the Tennysons as a T-800 for Ben and T-900 for Gwen. Then, he shook his head violently to get rid of the conjured, humanoid metallic forms with the skin of the Tennyson's as their coverings. "Terminator or not, Tennyson could probably wipe the floor with me, and I never knew it." Cash whispered hoarsely as his eyes grew wide in fear, garnering looks of shock from students who passed by and overhead the conversation. "I wonder if that old guy he called his grandpa taught the wimp some moves."

JT looked at his friend as Gwen's eyes glowing with blue energy flashed through his mind, not unlike the reprogrammed T-900. "Cash, I think you should forget both the Tennysons. They're out of your league, man."

Contrary to what JT expected his friend to do, Cash nodded quickly and headed on to class. Unknown to the boys, the rumor mill ignited with Cash's desire to stay away from the Tennyson Cousins and Ben in particular.

As Ben and Gwen walked into the next class, the whispers began. They only intensified when Ben and Gwen walked into the physics class because Ben looked at the board and muttered under his breath. The reaction from Gwen had their classmates looking at each other in confusion. Why? Well, Gwen looked positively murderous. Written on the board stood the source of Gwen's discomfort: "Crystals: Mystical and Mysterious".

The teacher walked in and began his lecture. If it wasn't for the fact of alien technology made wide use of the various properties of crystals in their function and operations, Ben would have found the lecture informative and interesting. For Gwen, who was a well-versed practician of Magic, the idea of crystals as mystical made her want to laugh. Sure, crystals could be used to amplify, store, and focus Mana, but the principle also applied to energy as a whole, not just Mana.

As the teacher lectured, Ben played with a small piece of Diamondhead crystal he recovered after a battle with Kevin left Diamondhead with a temporary chunk out of his left arm and kept it to remind himself how dangerous the psycho could be. As Ben turned the crystal over and over in his fingers, thoughts of that battle and the ensuing gladiator fights aboard the Megacruiser came back to the teen.

_I wonder how Technorg is doing after all this time. _Ben thought to himself.

_He obviously survived after being locked with Kevin in the Megacruiser._ _"A lapdog am I?"_ Belecus laughed. Kevin learned why Techorg ruled the arena before Ben and Kevin dethroned him. _That beating was priceless._

Serena spoke up. _Technorg is fine, Ben. He is walking in the door to a wife and child as we speak._

Ben's fist tightened around the shard enough for warm blood to trickle down his hand when the teacher interrupted his conversation and slammed his hand on a nearby desk to wake a drowsy student. Ben pulled out his hand and sighed when he saw the cut ran across his palm.

Without a word, Gwen mentally recited a healing spell. Ben closed his eyes and sighed contently as Gwen's Mana filled the cut and replaced the skin as if the cut was never there. All the while, the teacher walked away from the student and muttered something about "ungrateful brats".

Ben raised an eyebrow at that. Sure, there were some students who could use an attitude adjustment, but there were also teachers who could try to inject a little passion into the subject matter of their lectures instead of having less personality than one of Vilgax's drones.

Ben's ears tore him from his musings as a student behind him whispered, "Did you see what the redhead did to Tennyson?"

Ben froze for a moment, looked at his healed hand, and silently cursed. Magic wasn't known to everyone. If Ben left it alone, he concluded, the confused student would forget the incident by the end of class. As Ben's fear flared unconsciously, the Mana generated by his fear surged from him into the Diamondhead crystal while Ben gently gripped it momentarily. Then, when the bell rang for lunch, Ben hesitated and slowly got up, letting the other students file out ahead of him.

"Gwen, we need to talk."

Gwen walked over to Ben and nodded after the cousins made sure they were alone. "I felt your Mana spike when the teacher jarred you. Are you alright?"

Ben nervously picked up the crystal out of his pocket. Instead of its normal teal, the crystal now looked more like a shard of Kryptonite. Its core glowing a vibrant green while the edges remained their teal shade.

Gwen looked at the crystal and paled as she sensed the amount of Mana locked away in the crystal. Then, a smile slowly creeped across Gwen's face as she looked at Ben. Ben felt a small bit of fear at the look on her face. It was too much like the one she got before she pranked him when they were younger.

"What are you thinking, Gwen?" He asked the redhead calmly but tensed slightly, ready to bolt if needed.

Gwen put a hand on Ben's shoulder and sent a wave of soothing emotions through her Mana to him. "Why would I sabotage your ability to learn?"

Ben blushed slightly. "You had that look in your eyes you would get when we were younger, and you would get me back for something."

Gwen shook her head with a small laugh. "Relax, Doofus." The sorceress told him as she gently took the glowing crystal out of his hand. "This crystal could be a temporary solution to your Mana control issues."

"It's from Diamondhead." Ben said as he looked at Gwen, at a loss for what his cousin thought in that moment. "How does that help?"

Gwen's eyes gleamed. "Diamondhead is how you would be as a Petrosapien. The body may be different, but your energy never changes." Gwen kissed his cheek. Ben felt a mild shock as Gwen passed some of her Mana to him through the contact. "Unlike that kiss where I had to coax my Mana into you, your Mana freely flees into the crystal because the piece of Diamondhead is an extension of you." Gwen explained as they walked to the cafeteria.

As Ben and Gwen walked into the cafeteria, Gwen saw Emily wave her over with a worried expression on her face. After the duo got their "food", Ben and Gwen sat down next to the blonde.

Emily stared at Gwen. "Do you know what people are saying about you two?"

Gwen looked at her longtime friend in confusion. "Us?" Gwen repeated, unsure of how to respond. "I assure you the Doofus hasn't done anything."

Ben nodded in agreement. "I can vouch for the Dweeb. She's clean, too."

Emily suppressed a giggle. _These two are so cute together! _"You know the mess that happened six years ago with that strange attack on the town?"

Ben and Gwen nodded in tandem while their faces grew noticeably whiter. _We know it too well._

Ben only sighed and gave his best attempt at a bored expression. "Everyone knows about it."

Emily looked them each in the eye. "There's a rumor going around school." Emily started. "Some students say the thing that attacked that night was some sort of alien." Emily noticed Ben's right hand twitch slightly before Gwen gave it a small squeeze. "They say that both of you trained all Summer as government agents to fight the creature with training sessions all over the US."

Gwen spoke up. "How would we work as agents, Em? We were ten!"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "The man you call 'Grandpa Max' was your handler."

Ben and Gwen shared a look. "Cash…"

Em nodded. "He says you two stopped the alien."

Gwen shook her head and laughed, having heard another rumor started from Cash. "Emily, don't take this guy seriously. After he saw us blowing off steam in the break area, he believes we're Terminators." Gwen shook her head and decided to elaborate. "Julie, a friend of Ben's…"

Emily didn't fail to notice the subtle twinge of jealousy in Gwen's tone at the name of this friend of Ben's who is a girl and slight stress on "friend" as Gwen spoke. _Girl, you're green-eyed monster is raging._

"…said Cash and JT think Ben and I are Terminators. Ben's a T-800, and I'm a variant of a T-900 motel called 'Cameron'."

Ben couldn't help it. He started rolling with laughter at the idea. "I'm way more like John than a T-8."

Gwen and Emily only looked at Ben in confusion.

"Terminators are machines built to look like Humans by an evil AI called Skynet, so the machine can kill off the last of the Human race after a worldwide nuclear bombardment failed to do the job."

Gwen's eyes widened. "It sounds like an '80s movie. Where does 'Cameron' come in?"

Ben beamed. "She was sent to the past where the future leader of the Human Resistance, John Conner, was only sixteen to protect him. Over the course of the show, they get close."

Gwen raised a brow and smirked at him. "You don't have a crush on her. Do you?"

_Oh shit! _Ben thought. _There's that 'I'm gonna tease you mercilessly.' Look. _"How could I not?! She's badass," his face fell slightly. "…a bit of a stickler because of her artificial origin, but John helps her grow out of it. She'd do anything to protect John and does NOT trust his girlfriend, Riley. She cried when she malfunctioned and tried to kill John!" Ben said as he wiped his eyes quickly. "Damn, that scene hits hard!"

Gwen looked at Ben. _Did Cameron's malfunction remind him of Xenon?_

"Anyway, John would kick my butt if I made a move on Cameron." Ben said with a light chuckle. "Those two are happily joined at the hip."

_John and Cameron remind me of another pair I know. _Emily thought as the bell rang to go back to class from lunch.

As Emily left, Ben and Gwen looked at each other. The nerves over how close one rumor turned out to be to the truth, scared them. It wasn't because their secret exploits would be found out. No, it was the fact that if this came to light; the Tennyson Clan would have a bullseye on its back from every bad guy in Ben and Gwen's rogues gallery. The pair needed to talk to Grandpa Max as soon as they could for advice on how to handle the situation. It wouldn't be an easy road ahead of the cousins, but they would manage…together.

The thought of her and Ben brought Gwen's mind back to review of her and Ben's conversation with Emily as it turned into a discussion of Shipping between John and Cameron. They came from different worlds but fought together to save the world from enslavement by an external power. It was clear Cameron reminded Ben of her, Gwen realized. Yet, Ben also claimed to see himself in John, and Shipped the two characters together without any qualms.

_Emily watched my reactions as we talked about John and Cameron! _The thought slammed into Gwen._ Why? _After a few minutes of thinking while Gwen walked to French, comparing herself and Cameron, Gwen came to a startling conclusion for herself._ Emily thinks Ben and I love each other romantically!_

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	6. Embarrassing Situations

**Author's Note: **I was inspired by a pic of the Bwen Initiative Discord Server for the principle scene in this chapter that derives its name. Now, with credit given where it is due, please enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Six: Embarrassing Situations

Something in Ben's stomach turned and rocked when he looked back and saw Emily wink at him before she lost sight of him down the hall. _She's up to something._ Ben thought.

Belecus seemed to roll his eyes. That's at least what his tone implied as he spoke. _Ben, she's trying to snare you into giving away your secret…_

_You say "crush", Belecus… _Serena interrupted. _…and I'll render you mute until Ben decides you can speak again!_

Ben couldn't help a chuckle at Serena's threat, but other than that, he let The Voice of Love and Compassion continue.

_It is painfully obvious that he loves her. Looking back at his memories, especially when he began to physically mature-_

Ben cut her off, blushing so hard he could give a Plymouth Fury competition in colors! _From now on, my memories are off limits unless you ask me and tell me why you want to look into them. Understood?_

_…but it's natural for a Human your age to-_

_End of discussion, Serena!_

Ben shook his head and walked in the bathroom to splash cold water on his face to help the blush leave faster. Under his breath, Ben muttered, "Damn, you're worse than my Mom sometimes, Serena!"

That little statement from Ben left Serena in quiet contemplation for a good while, much to Ben's relief. Strangely, Belecus seemed to join her and left Ben with his own thoughts as he went through the rest of the school day undisturbed.

Serena thought it over. Why would she remind Ben of his Mother? All she wanted was for Ben to embrace his feelings for Gwen before she was snatched away by some extremely lucky man to leave Ben broken and alone. She saw how he reacted when Kevin and Gwen began their relationship. Serena sighed. Ben loves her enough that when he thought she was happy with Kevin, he backed off. There were some recent memories she saw before Ben put them under lock and key: nightmares and nights quietly sobbing himself to sleep were plentiful, but his most peaceful nights came when he "dreamed" of his grandmother and conversed with her in the night. Ben remained completely unaware of these conversations because they happened when he wasn't conscious, but it was the first sign to Verdona of the Galvan devices' interference with Ben's Wizard Blood.

Serena sighed and projected her consciousness briefly outside of Ben's mind for a "walk" to look around the school because she could feel a presence there. It pulled and nagged at her. When she finally saw the person, Serena would have smiled had she had the ability as a mere projection. There, in the grass behind a tree patiently waiting, stood Verdona.

Verdona noticed the almost imperceptible Mana signature of Serena and smiled toward her. _What has Benjamin told you about his cousin?_

Serena laughed. _He definitely loves her, but the stubborn boy won't say anything!_

_Well, I'll have to fix that. Won't I?_

Serena could feel Belecus searching for her. _Don't force it, Verdona. _Serena warned. _If you thrust them together, it could be disastrous!_

With her peace said, Serena allowed herself to be drawn back into Ben's mind.

After school, Ben couldn't help the feeling of being watched as he and Gwen walked down to the dojo to hopefully sign Ben up for Karate classes to complement his new powers and status as Combat Mage. Ben didn't want to alarm Gwen, so he quietly slipped away. Luckily, Serena and Belecus could sense Ben's tense shift in thought and remained quiet as he doubled back to inspect his and Gwen's path for any signs of being followed.

Ben felt his Mana unravel as his adrenaline allowed him to think clearly. Ben's breathing stilled as he let his mind relax.

In his mind, Ben saw the faintest traces of residual Mana on the ground unintentionally marking the footsteps of their strange stalker. Ben shook his head when the trail of footsteps disappeared.

_The mystic took flight at this point._ Ben realized as he shook his head, cursing his mystic ineptitude at the moment.

With a final sigh of frustration, Ben muttered a spell and felt the ambient Mana around him fill his body before the young wizard caught up with his cousin in a few moments, thanks to his Mana-enhanced bust of speed.

Gwen couldn't help a laugh as Ben fell in step next to her. "Your getting the hang of basic Mana technique pretty quick, Doofus."

At the praise, Ben blushed. "Somehow, it comes natural to me."

Gwen sighed when he gave her a look of fear. "Everyone has their area of expertise, Ben." She explained. "I may be an _Omnium Artium Magus_, but everyone has things that come naturally. For example, Defensive Magicks are almost innate for me." She smiled at him. "You just have a knack for manipulating your own Mana to mimic your aliens because you are used to the abilities they had."

He nodded and smiled at her but kept an eye out for the strange Mage as they walked at a brisk pace toward the dojo. Ben's instincts pinged wildly as he entered the dojo. It reminded him too much of fighting Kenko on Level 13. The memories of that fight made him shiver.

Gwen, sensing his apprehensiveness, lightly gripped his hand. "I'm right here, Ben."

The tense moment broke as a man with black hair, kind eyes and a slim build walked up to the pair in a gi. Ben instantly took note of the man's tied black belt around the man's waist and reflexively bowed. The man smiled at Ben and returned the bow.

"Sensei, this is Ben." Gwen said as she gestured over to her cousin. "He wishes to learn Karate."

Before Gwen could make more of an introduction, the man nodded at Ben. "It is nice to meet you, Mister…"

"Tennyson," Ben supplied. "Gwen is my cousin."

The man gave Ben a momentary odd look of confusion before he looked between the two of them and cleared his throat. Ben wasn't exactly sure, but the brunette thought he saw the Sensei blush a little when Ben said Gwen was his cousin. _Why did he react that way?_

Serena giggled like a schoolgirl. _He most likely mistook you for Gwen's boyfriend._

_What is it with strangers thinking we're together?!_

The irony of all of this made Ben want to hit something. He looked to Gwen who gave him a nod then looked at her Sensei. "Ben wants to demonstrate what I've been able to teach him with informal training." She said calmly, though it was only half true. "Then, you can make the decision as to which class he belongs in."

Thinking it over for a moment, the Sensei smiled at the pair and nodded. "I shall see what Gwen has taught you in a match. Go change. Then, we shall see where your skills are."

In the changing room, Serena looked around using her projection. The Voice of Love and Compassion could feel Verdona's Mana. (The night before Verdona tried to visit Ben in his sleep as she had done many times before, but Serena, thinking Ben had a rough day: losing the Ultimatrix and having to cope with two new people permanently in his head along with himself, took it upon herself to talk to Verdona on Ben's behalf instead. She learned much, including how to sense Mana.)

_Verdona, what do you have planned?_

_Why are you acting so much like Natalie, Serena?_ Verdona laughed. _I'm not going to force them together, more of a nudge in that general direction._

_You asked why I'm behaving like Natalie. _Serena stated. Though with the inflection, it could have been seen as a question. _You often disregard natural causality to achieve your own ends without regard for who you harm._

Verdona sighed. _No harm will come to Benjamin or Gwendolyn, Serena._

Serena drifted back into the confines of Ben's mind as she hoped the chat with Verdona got through, though she had little hope for success.

As Gwen walked out of the changing room, she heard a familiar voice call, "Gwen, Sweetie, how are you doing with your Mystic studies?"

Gwen fought not to roll her eyes at the elder sorceress when she spotted the woman in the stands. "I'm doing fine, Grandma Verdona. How are you?"

Verdona thought for a moment. "How are you and your friend…Curtis?

Gwen glared at her. "Kevin…let's not talk about him."

Verdona nodded in understanding. "As you wish, dear. How is Ben doing as you apprentice?"

Gwen's eyes lit up.

Verdona fought an urge to pump her fist in victory at Gwen's uncontrollable reaction to mention of her cousin. _That's so cute! I couldn't be happier for you, Gwen!_

"He's doing really well considering how early his training is." Gwen admitted proudly with a minor blush. "He's a Combat Magus, so I'm hoping formal Martial Arts training will help keep his Mana flowing properly."

Verdona nodded. "Wise decision, Gwen. Is there anything else?"

Gwen nodded hesitantly. "Ben seems to innately tap into spells that allow him to mimic his aliens. On the way here, he used a spell to give himself super speed, like XLR8."

Verdona nodded in understanding. "As those different creatures, he became familiar with their quirks and abilities. Therefore, his Mana is predisposed to spells that allow him to mimic their abilities. Think of it like a type of mystic muscle memory, Gwendolyn." She explained. "It's nothing to worry about. It's just the way Ben is as a sorcerer."

Gwen only nodded, the worried look in her eyes gone. As she turned and walked briskly to the mat, Gwen missed a mischievous smile on her grandmother's face.

Once Gwen and Ben met each other for the match, they both looked to be on top of the world. As the fight progressed though, tears began to form in Ben's eyes as he stepped up his attack. Gwen seemed confused by this until she noticed that Ben's eyes were coated with familiar magenta Mana. Gwen silently scowled and stepped up her own defense. _Grandma Verdona, What the hell did you do to Ben?!_

Inside Ben's mind, a magenta projector screen played memories while Garth Brooks' "The Dance" queued up on invisible speakers. _A younger Ben and Gwen danced slowly to some music as Gwen taught Ben a crash course in Dance for Joel and Camille's wedding._ Then, as "The Dance" began to describe the pain the singer felt at seeing his love go to another, _a teenage Ben watched with fresh pain as Kevin, his sworn enemy, took Gwen from him, yet Ben did nothing because Gwen seemed truly happy with Kevin._ Like the song spoke as it closed: "I could've missed the pain/ But I'd of had to miss…the…dance."

Ben growled as the spell faded. Gwen could feel the Mana's effect leave Ben, but the brunette continued to softly cry as he fought. No one but Gwen was close enough to the fight to see Ben's tears as she fought him. It tore at her, but she could do nothing at the moment except let Ben bleed his anger and hurt through their match.

As Ben's pain began to fade to a dull ache, his attacks followed suit and slowed as well. Gwen smiled as she took an opening. Unfortunately for her, Ben countered and threw her punch wide with his arm. Gwen countered just as fast. However, with her focus on Ben's face and the tears that remained in his eyes, Gwen failed to notice when Ben's leg came around and knocked her off balance. As Gwen fell to the mat, Ben pinned her there by innocently straddling her.

"Do you yield?" Ben asked with a raised eyebrow.

Gwen looked around from her position on the mat to see many of the students grinning as a few snickers reached her ears. With her face on fire from all the blood that rushed to it at the realization of her compromising position under Ben, Gwen muttered, "I yield, Doofus!" She dropped her tone to a low whisper. "Now, get off me! People are giving us strange looks!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Dweeb!" Ben said at normal volume as he got off her and helped her to her feet. "It was just a fight, and all I did was pin you."

As the duo walked back to the wall to stand by each other, the Sensei struggled to hold in his laughter mixed with a strange pang of sadness. "There is no way those two are just cousins. No one has that much pain in their fighting style unless they are heartbroken." He observed. "I don't have specific pet names for my cousins either." He noted with a twinkle in his eyes.

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	7. Freedom Versus Chains

**Author's Note: **Merry Christmas to my readers! For the occasion, I have a very special extended chapter with some very fun developments.

Chapter Seven: Freedom Versus Chains

Ben felt strangely energized as he and Gwen left the dojo after their demonstration. _The adrenaline, the closeness…it was…DON'T FINISH THAT THOUGHT, BEN!_ The brunette froze as he thought about how great that fight felt. _I must be going nuts!_

Serena only giggled at Ben's thoughts. Being Alien ax's former Voice of Love and Compassion, Serena knew exactly why Ben reacted this way, and she certainly felt Ben knew the reason as well. After all, he previously acknowledged his crush on Gwen but refused to accept the reality of his emotions.

Unknown to Ben, his green aura began to surround him and lift him from the ground as he thought of the fight with Gwen and how free he felt now with his pain completely bled out of his mind. Still not entirely aware of his flight, Ben started to pick up speed as he blushed at the position the match ended in. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't realized how…sensual it must have looked to everyone around them. Now that he reflected on it, Ben found himself almost as mortified as Gwen. However, there was one thing about that position he couldn't deny. As he watched her chest rise and fall from the exertion of the fight, he found her extremely beautiful and felt his eyes connect to hers. It felt absolutely wonderful to be so close to his cousin. Unfortunately, someone had to interrupt his contemplation.

Serena smiled. _Ben, are you flustered? _She poked at him. _Your body temperature rose a few degrees while you fought Gwen._

Ben blocked out Serena's teasing and smiled to himself. He would never admit it, but he missed the closeness with Gwen he had when they were kids. A friendly tussle always lifted his mood, but this was different somehow. Ben felt cleansed and, if he were honest, better than he'd felt in years. _What changed?_

Belecus shook his head. _Kevin is gone, Ben. He hung like a specter over you and Gwen for so long, it took time for you to deal with your locked up negative emotions concerning the Osmosian._

"So, that's why I feel so free like I'm on cloud nine."

"That and you're flying, Benjamin."

Ben looked toward Verdona's voice on his left and saw her smile at him while she calmly flew beside him. Then, he looked down and saw the people on the busy city street didn't notice them.

"How are they not freaking out?" Ben questioned. "We're only a few feet above them!"

Verdona laughed. "I hid us from them, Ben."

"For that matter, how am I flying?"

Verdona chuckled. "Sweet child, a Mage's powers are connected to his or her emotions." The older woman looked at her grandson. "Flight is freedom for Magi."

"My resentment and pain tied up with Kevin…"

Verdona nodded. "…and your uncertainty about Gwen."

"Gwen…" As soon as the word left Ben's mouth, his body turned to lead and dropped out of the sky.

With a painful grunt, Ben pushed to his feet and wiped the stirred dust off his clothes. Ben shook his head. "I should have known Gwen would be a part of this, too."

Verdona nodded and put a kind hand on her grandson's shoulder. "Well, of course she is." Verdona laughed softly. "She's a part of you now."

Ben stopped as a memory flashed through his mind. "When she linked us with a bit of her Mana…"

Verdona nodded. "She became a part of you and you a part of her."

"That's why I'm having difficulties with my powers." Ben realized as he looked at Verdona.

The elder sorceress nodded. "When you fight and for a brief time after, your Mana parallels hers: straight, refined, free, and easy to use." Verdona frowned. "However, your Mana becomes chaotic again when you let yourself deny and push away the feelings you have for her."

Ben looked at his grandma in fear and worry. "I've had these feelings for years now." Ben admitted. "I can't risk breaking my family over my personal attraction to Gwen."

Verdona nodded. "I can sympathize with what you're going through."

Ben's back tensed unconsciously at Verdona's words. "You can?" He stopped and glared at her with fire in his eyes usually only seen by his enemies.

Verdona frowned and slowly nodded at Ben. "Max was not easily revived by my family."

"Magi purists…" Ben muttered as he nodded in understanding. "It explains so much of your behavior when we first met."

Verdona sighed. "I was so elated to find Gwen had the Spark…" Her eyes glistened briefly in happiness at the memory. "I reverted back to a similar mindset I had before Max brought me to Earth." Verdona shook her head with a soft smile at her pun. Then, a rare serious expression flowed across her features. "I have no excuses for the way I acted toward you, Natalie, and the others." She put a hand on Ben's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "After Max's apparent death, I went back to what I knew to run from the pain it caused me." Her eyes grew hard and steely. "Take one piece of advice from an old timer, Ben: Don't run from your emotions. Emotions are what separate sentient beings from robots."

Ben shivered as he remembered how robotic and cold the alternative Ben 10,000 was before the then ten-year-old gave his older self an attitude adjustment. "I need to free myself from the fetters of fear and doubt, or I'll end up like him." Ben resolved softly.

"Like whom, dear?" Verdona asked in a way only a grandmother could.

"I'll tell you the story later, Grandma Verdona." Ben promised as he picked up speed and began to outpace the older woman. Ben stopped and looked back to see Verdona smile at him before she vanished.

Verdona's voice whispered kindly in his ear, _Go get her, Kiddo!_

Ben nodded in agreement with the soft command and could almost feel Serena fighting giggles while he knew Belecus prepared for the possibility of war with his family. The Voice of Rage and Aggression had a habit of making conflicts out to be bigger or smaller than they truly were, and Ben hoped and prayed for his sake and Gwen's Belecus was overreacting. The fact Ben hadn't heard a peep from the male persona since his comment about Kevin made the teen nervous. _If Belecus thinks there's a chance, I should be careful how I approach this._

Meanwhile, as Ben had a heart to heart with Verdona, Gwen walked into her house with a tired sigh. School and dealing with Ben's emerging power as a Combat Magus proved to be tiring for Gwen. The redhead crashed into her bed and fell into a fitful sleep as two people permeated through her dreams.

As she tossed and turned in her exhausted state, Gwen roused Natalie's attention. When the woman peaked into her daughter's room, the scene brought Natalie back to the time to immediately after that first summer trip with Max and Ben. Natalie remembered Gwen's first night back home in her own bed; she remembered because it terrified the blonde woman so. The night started as Gwen was now: tossing and turning with periodic groans of discomfort and soft "no"s. After about ten or fifteen minutes, Gwen would begin thrashing. The sounds of her panicked daughter would rouse Natalie to Gwen's bedside. Then, Gwen would wake up screaming about "wild vines" all over her. However, the worst part of it all, the part that drove a stake through Natalie when she heard it, was Gwen's heartbreaking screams of her cousin's name in those moments between wakefulness and sleep.

Natalie slowly crept to Gwen's room as she prepared to try and handle another round of terrors. The mother marred her face with a confused expression as she tried to solve what could be bothering Gwen. It had been years since young Gwen's fear of plants. Still, Natalie considered the possibility of a relapse. Verdona's appearance about a year before forced some secrets to come to the surface such as Ben's interstellar hero status and the Omnitrix, items of interest Sandra and Carl seemed already privy to. However, Ben and Gwen remained quite tight-lipped about the nature of their current and former alien exploits.

Natalie jumped when Gwen's soft but fearful voice whispered, "Kevin don't do this!"

Natalie's brain jumpstarted when she heard the name of her daughter's boyfriend. _Kevin, what does he have to do with this?_

Gwen's movements became more frantic. She began to struggle against what seemed to be a giant fist as it held her in a phantom's grip. She began grunting and pushing against the invisible strength as it held her fast. After a few more moments of struggle, Gwen seemed to stop fighting.

"Ben…" Gwen began crying bitter tears as the nightmare dragged on. "…please…NO!"

Gwen sat bolt upright in a cold sweat, her cheeks soaked with a mix of tears and perspiration. The redhead looked around her room and stopped at the shape of her mother at the foot of the bed.

"Mom?" Gwen asked, slightly fearful.

Natalie reached out a gentle hand and gripped Gwen's hand in her own. "You don't have to tell me anything, but I'm here."

Natalie moved to get up from the bed, but her daughter's hand rushed out and clasped hers before the woman could stand.

"No…Mom, I need to explain something." Gwen looked into her mother's eyes. "When Ben and I were kids, we met Kevin for the first time. He was a monster. It just took awhile for Kevin's outside to match who he was, but that finally happened when Kevin absorbed DNA from all ten of Ben's original aliens. The DNA mismatched him into a grotesque creature. Then, Kevin teamed up with an alien with a massive grudge against Grandpa Max. In a dimensional prison called the Null Void, Kevin threatened to fry me if Ben didn't give Vilgax the Omnitrix."

Natalie stared at her daughter in shock. "I thought I raised you…"

Gwen nodded sadly. "You did, but outside influences and my own wishes overruled my instincts and common sense."

Natalie blinked. _Her own wishes?_ "Why would you want to be with the guy who tried to kill you?" Her tone wasn't harsh but confused.

Gwen blushed and looked away from her mother as tears skated down the Mystic's face. "I…I love Ben!"

For her part, Natalie gave no sign of support or disgust at her daughter's taboo admission. "Go on."

"I want Ben like a lover, Mom!" Gwen's tears freely flowed at this point. "Ben understands and listens to me on a level I could never dream of with Levin. He's kind, has a strength that goes beyond the surface, knows how to read me, and I honestly…" Gwen looked down at her lap, her cheeks on fire.

"You can see yourself having a family with him." Natalie supplied.

Gwen only nodded in confirmation. Then, she looked at her Mom. "Are you mad?"

Natalie shook her head and laughed. "No, now, all the strange things you do around each other makes much more sense."

Gwen went to hug Natalie, but a quick gesture from the elder woman stopped Gwen. "What is it?"

"I don't know how your fathers will react when they find out." Natalie warned. "Be careful."

Unknown to either Tennyson woman, Ben sprinted at that moment to make a bee line for Gwen's house. A part of him wanted to back out, but it was like Grandma Verdona told him. He had to accept and face his emotions no matter how uncomfortable they may be in the moment. With those thoughts driving him, Ben forged on towards Gwen's house. Ben felt his stomach jump and tie itself in knots when he approached his goal.

Belecus laughed at Ben. _You face down multiple intergalactic threats yet you tremble and whimper when you try to ask the girl of your dreams out…pathetic._

_Belecus!_ Serena said with a gasp and irritated tone at his insensitivity. _This is hard enough for Ben without you mocking him!_

"No, Serena," Ben said with a frown. "He's right. This should be easy compared to that."

Serena opened her mouth to respond, but stopped. _Ben, do you sense that?_

Ben could feel a strange…grey aura a few feet from the house. "Charmcaster…" Ben shook fears from his mind and felt his aura surround his body. Then, Ben rocketed off in a green flash of Mana.

Ben didn't stop until he slammed into said sorceress. "What are you doing here?!"

Charmcaster groaned and sat up. She could feel oceans of Mana rolling off Ben as the hero glared at her. The feeling was intoxicating! "Oh, Ben," she purred. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Why are you here?"

Charmcaster smiled at him. "I felt a shift in the Mana from Legerdemain. Thinking it was Miss Upstart, I came to investigate." She put her hand suggestively on his chest. "Imagine my _pleasant _surprise when it turns out to be you."

Ben gulped and opened his mouth to respond. However, a tether of blue Mana wrapped around Charmcaster's waist and yanked, pulling Charmcaster to the dirt.

"Hands off!" Gwen roared.

Ben didn't know whether to be happy or terrified at the look on Gwen's face. Gwen's current expression didn't even compare to the look of rage she gave Kai years ago.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Charmcaster scoffed.

"Get. Away. From. My. Doofus!"

Ben paled when he saw Gwen's eyes arc with angry blue power. _This would be so hot if I wasn't in the crossfire right now!_

"Gwen, don't you know how sick you are?" Charmcaster spat, going for blood. "I would be much better for Ben and no taboo worries. You are nothing but an idiot savant."

That did it. Ben's shoulders shook with bridled rage. "Charmcaster, go before I decide to hurt you myself!" The Mana immediately began to crackle with Ben's raw emotions. "This is your only warning." Ben walked over to to Charmcaster and got in her face. "I LOVE GWEN, NOT YOU!"

With the outburst, Ben felt a flood of power and reached for the Diamondhead crystal even as he swayed and groaned at the rush of freed Mana through his body.

"Ben!" Gwen said as she ran and caught Ben. With tears in her eyes as Ben's body began to glow too brightly with his Mana, Gwen bent down. "I just admitted I love you to Mom. Don't burn up on me…please!" Gwen's eyes grew wet with tears before she put a hand on his face and kissed him, drawing off as much mana from his overcharged body as she could safely disperse at a steady pace.

Ben's eyes fluttered open after a long few minutes. "Gwen…" He said quietly. The teen wasn't sure why, but Gwen seemed to be crying. In addition, he felt a tightness in his chest as he looked into her eyes. The words leapt out of Ben's mouth almost before he could think to say them. "Don't cry, my love." Ben whispered. "I'm alright."

Gwen stopped and looked at him in confusion."What?"

"No more chains of denial," he smiled. "I love you, Dweeb."

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	8. Revelations

**Author's Note: **I just couldn't resist. The plot was too intriguing.

Chapter Eight: Revelations 

As Ben sat up and groaned, he saw an odd sight. Blue, red, and yellow rolled away from Gwen's body in rhythmic pulses. As Gwen touched him, Ben saw the colors change. Blue, red, pink, and purple now fled from Gwen's body in soothing waves. _What happened while I was out?_ The brunette teen thought to himself. _Am I hallucinating?_ Inside, he felt different but the same. The sensation reminded him of going alien.

Gwen offered Ben a hand and helped her cousin to his feet. The soothing feeling from when they held hands yesterday returned as Ben stood, only much stronger. Gwen smiled at him. "I don't want to be dreaming."

In response, Ben punched her in the arm and noticed flashes of red roll across Gwen's aura. Then, the aura changed to its natural sky blue. Ben's eyes widened. _I can see and read her emotions?! How?!_

At this, Serena began laughing hard enough for Ben to briefly question her sanity. _I don't want to spoil the surprise, Ben._ The Voice of Love and Compassion told him. _Ask your grandma about it. I want to see her face when you do._

Gwen looked at him as if she saw something new for the first time. The kaleidoscope of colors around Ben made a faint smile flow across Gwen's lips. "Ben, why are you confused?"

"I'm seeing things." He muttered not questioning her assessment of his current mental state because she could always read his emotions since their first Summer together. However, the opposite proved to be false or so Ben thought until now. For example, Ben watched her aura go from natural blue to lime green. _Going by DC's Emotional Spectrum, the addition of yellow to make lime green means she's slightly fearful or worried. _Ben hypothesized."I don't know why. Serena knows but won't tell."

Gwen walked over and put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You're not crazy, Ben. I've been able to read your aura for years but never knew why." Gwen said as her cheeks warmed slightly. "We should find Grandma Verdona and ask her."

Natalie made it outside in time to see the jealousy-fueled beat down her daughter gave a white-haired woman a few years older than her, heard Ben's declaration, and felt worry roll in her stomach as Ben passed out from releasing a massive amount of energy. She couldn't see it, but Natalie could definitely feel the Mana as it rolled over her like a tsunami. Once Natalie steadied herself, the mother turned to her daughter and Ben. Gwen failed to even notice the woman which made the woman smile. Her daughter truly did love Ben.

When she was satisfied Ben and Gwen were ok, Natalie cleared her throat. "So that's what Mana feels like."

Ben and Gwen blushed and looked at Natalie in confusion. "What happened?" They asked in unison.

Natalie fought a laugh at how cute her daughter and Ben were in that moment, like kids with their hands in the cookie jar. "I may not be a wizard, but even I could feel the power from Ben."

Ben blushed redder at Natalie's comment. "W-wow."

Gwen and Ben suddenly glanced behind them and tensed. Unknown to the cousins, Natalie's brow furrowed in irritation as she glanced at the empty space. Gwen looked at Ben and put a hand on his shoulder to calm his battle instincts as she shook her head. "Show yourself, Grandma Verdona."

Ben felt the ripple before he saw his grandmother appear. _My ambient senses must be waking up._

The old woman frowned at the pair. Then, she nodded at Natalie. "You try to run, but Magic always finds you. Doesn't it, dear?"

Natalie ignored the woman for a moment. Then, when the mother could no longer stand the feeling of eyes as they bored into her head, Natalie growled and waved her hand. A gag and blindfold appeared on Verdona's face as Natalie's eyes glowed in the dark.

"Mom…" Gwen could only stare as she looked between Natalie and Verdona. "What's going on?!"

Natalie sighed. "I left Legerdemain shortly after I completed my training because I never liked the lackadaisical personality most mages formed if they lived their lives in Legerdemain." Natalie explained. "I didn't want that for myself or any family I raised. I wanted them to know the value of work."

Ben blushed. "Do you know why I can see Gwen's aura now?"

Natalie smiled as she saw Verdona shiver. Then, Natalie nodded at her nephew. "Mages close to each other emotionally can read each other's emotions." Natalie explained. She then looked at Ben. "What did you see when that sorceress wrestled you to the ground?"

Ben realized Natalie was covertly testing him to see if he shared a deep connection with Charmcaster. The idea made him extremely uncomfortable. "I didn't see any color in her aura, just lifeless grey."

Natalie nodded. "What do you both see when you look at me?"

"Traces of anger, some compassion, and a bit of fear…" Ben offered. "There's a lot of grey, though."

Gwen looked at her mother. "It's similar to what Ben said but more complicated. There's a little grey in places, but the colors are bleeding together." Gwen told her. "I can't with too much confidence separate the colors. They blend too well yet remain distinct."

Natalie smiled. "…and when you look at each other it's like a full color rainbow unless an emotion is being expressed, either consciously or unconsciously."

Gwen blushed. "Um…Mom?"

Natalie looked at her daughter. "What is it?"

"I've been able to read Ben's emotions for years." Gwen squeezed Ben's hand. "When we would fight an enemy together as kids back during the first Summer, we rarely spoke."

Natalie and Verdona's eyes widened at this news. "Emotional telepathy…" Natalie supplied. "…it's an extremely rare ability because the people involved have to be in sync mentally for it to work."

Ben and Gwen looked at each other in shock. Then, they shared a grateful smile with each other.

"The Omnitrix couldn't suppress everything." Ben realized. "It could only suppress the active powers of my Magus heritage. Anything passive slipped past the Omnitrix's dampeners."

Natalie nodded to Ben before her mind returned to her daughter's earlier statement. "What do you mean you could read Ben's emotions for years?"

Gwen blushed and looked at her feet. "On Xenon, when I came back with Gluto, that's the first time I saw the emotional kaleidoscope around Ben." Gwen looked at Ben. "Before that point, I would get hints of emotions when I looked at him. Over the Summer, the colors became more vivid and filled in the grey little by little."

Natalie nodded. "That's usually how it works." The mother turned to Ben. "Benjamin…"

Ben froze at the tone. _At least it's just my full first name. It could be worse._

_I wouldn't be so sure, Ben. _Belecus said with a grin that made Ben really uncomfortable because it approached psychotic. _Magus mothers can be dangerous and even existentially murderous when angry._

Ben looked at Belecus in confusion. _What are you saying?_

_If she ever deems you a threat to Gwen, she would be perfectly within mystic law to treat you like you treated Kevin._

Ben shivered at the thought and felt a cold chill roll down his spine as he answered his aunt. "Yes ma'am?"

"If you hurt Gwen, no amount of magic or training will save you."

Ben nodded slowly. "I understand."

_Sometimes Aunt Natalie scares me more than Vilgax._

Ben turned to go back home and crash from the excitement and busy day he'd had, but a gentle hand stopped him. As Ben turned, he saw the worried face of his Dweeb look back at him. "Be careful, Ben." Gwen warned. "Magic has many battlefields, and one of them is the mind."

Ben nodded. "…like when I pissed off Vilgax enough for him to start invading my dreams or when Ghostfreak started giving me nightmares." Ben sighed, his tone mildly arrogant. "Don't forget about the time Forever Knights locked me in a dream world to try and remove the Omnitrix."

Gwen looked at him. "I'm serious, Ben!" Gwen seemed shaken by something new in that moment. "Intruding in a dream through Magic is more natural than forcing a way in with tech!" Gwen shivered. "You are a Mage now!" She reminded him. "Enemies will start to come at you through your dreams." Gwen looked away and blinked away tears for a moment.

As he watched the tears fall from Gwen's troubled face, the former hint of arrogance evaporated like mist. Ben realized two things in that moment: This would involve a level of combat Ben never experienced and Gwen hid something from him. "Gwen, talk to me. You're not telling me something."

Miles away, foolish Forever Knights find a stone seal with "their" symbol on it. Splintered as they had been for years, each faction now fought with the other very much like lords fighting for lands in the age the Knights favored so heavily. To that end, the contingent of knights loyal to Driscoll smiled at their find: a weapons vault sealed to keep prying hands out for a climactic day of battle when the Forever Knights would unite under one banner and purge the world with a single stroke of the alien pestilence infestation and the threat to this grand and glorious future, Ben Tennyson!

"For the glory of our king," one knight said to his fellows. "We will claim the treasury of this vault's weapons and rule as nobles with our majesty King Driscoll when we are rewarded in the Pure World Order!"

A resounding cheer erupted from the group. Then, the men turned their weapons to the circular stone seal. The leader looked at his men and signaled for them to fire as one. With their laser lances leveled toward the stone, the knights fired. For a moment, it seemed as if the seal would hold against the onslaught of searing lasers. Then, the stone cracked. As if the seal gave one final protest in the moment of its failure, the men were thrown back a considerable distance by an unknown force. As the men slowly roused, an eerie red glow poured from the crack. When the knights gathered their wits again, the men looked at each other and grinned like children who peaked at a mountain of gifts in Christmas morning. Then, their screams pierced the night as five strange beasts leapt from what now was revealed to be a dimensional gate and killed most of the armored and well-trained men said they were children. Then, the quadruped demonic creatures possessed the living knight and transformed them into strangely robed men with masks reminiscent of a tribal mask.

At the same moment, Gwen teetered at her boyfriend's words, and the whites of her eyes took on a slight red color. "His servants The Esoterica, his arms Lecubra, his name is Dagon." She spoke with a voice much darker than her own but still her own at the same time.

At the name "Dagon", a brief flash ran through Ben's mind. _There stood in a Iron Age temple the likeness of a man with fish scales carved into the stone down to its base. It's eyes glowed faintly red as the creature inside the stone smiled at the offerings humans brought it. "(Through time eternal, we will serve thee, Great Dagon!)" As the priest stood, time shifted to modern day without warning as the priest now stood in a red, yellow, and black robe with a matching mask._

When Ben came back to himself, he looked around in confusion for a moment as Gwen mirrored him. Natalie and Verdona rushed to the teens and steadied the pair as they both found their feet. Gwen looked at Ben, and the pair could feel the unearthly threat rise as if released like an evil jinn to rise and wreck havoc.

Gwen looked at Ben as they shared a thought. _Battle can wait…_ Ben nodded as he finished her thought. _…and let him come to us. They always do._

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	9. Dream Combat

**Author's Note: **The chapter gets a much darker tone than the other chapters before it.

Chapter Nine: Dream Combat

Ben and Gwen seemed reluctant to part after such a long night, but exhaustion tugged at the pair. A weekend of training and Gwen's confession to round it off proved to be draining for the two Magi. As Gwen looked up into eyes so much like her own, a cute yawn caught the redhead by surprise and caused Ben to laugh before a yawn overcame him as well.

Natalie shook her head with a small grin and sigh at the teens. "It's been a long night for all of us," The woman said. "If I'm not mistaken, you both have school in the morning."

A part of Ben wanted to argue the point of how late nights were routine for him and Gwen. Something in his aunt's eyes discouraged the boy from doing so, however. Instead, the brunette gave his aunt a simple nod before Ben allowed green mana to envelop his body and left the ground behind to soar the few blocks back to his own house. The cool night air around him had hints of Winter in it as Ben flew back. With a grin, Ben manipulated his mana field to mimic a Green Lantern uniform but felt a flicker of disappointment when he lifted his right hand and saw no ring. _Right…only simple constructs…_ Ben thought, a little dejected. His mind sheered off in an odd direction as Ben landed and dissipated his tangible Mana field. _I hope Razer found Aya and became a Blue Lantern. He was hurt and angry at the loss of Illana, but he had a moral compass. Considering the ring replaces the heart of a Red Lantern and a physical manifestation of Rage in the form of burning plasma replaces blood, that's more than nearly all Reds have._

_What is it with you and machines, Benjamin? _Serena asked with the hint of a smile in her tone._ Arcee, Aya , Cameron, Cortana…_

Ben rolled his eyes and spoke aloud to The Voice of Love and Compassion in his mind. "Does it truly matter what my type is?" He asked her. "Jack would probably kick my ass. Razer would almost certainly have to will himself not to kill me with Aya's help to calm the Lantern. Connor…is unpredictable, but I can promise you it wouldn't be good news for me. Chief…" Ben shivered. "I'm not going against him with or without MJILNOR." Ben grinned. "Besides, Gwen beats all those women. You know why?"

_She's real? _Serena quipped.

"That's part of it, but that is not the whole. Gwen helps me better myself. Look at all the women you listed, and that's what they do for their respective Soulmates: completion."

Serena would have facepalmed had she a body to manipulate. _Now, it makes sense why you rage quit after seeing Halo 5 trailers. _**Yeah, I went there.**

Ben took a deep breath. "Cortana is not a psychopath. She died a hero saving John."

Serena sighed. _Just like how Gwen almost gave her life to save you on Xenon._

Ben froze at his bedroom door and debated putting his fist through the wall. "It should have been me…" He growled under his breath.

A new voice entered the conversation as Ben walked into his room. _That rage and anger you hold on yourself will destroy you if you let Dagon get to it. Serena and I agree. _Belecus stated. _This bitter anger can only harm you, so tonight, you will begin training to harness that anger and release it. Now, SLEEP!_

Seemingly under Belecus' control, Ben's mind and body heeded the command. Ben's body climbed in the bed and pulled the comforter to his neck as Ben felt his mind haze with sleep.

_Ben looked around and saw himself in a strange place. It took him a moment to orient himself, but soon the void transformed into a vaguely familiar room covered in yellow vines._

_"Haven't we done this before?" He asked only to have no one answer with the exception of a familiar scream. "Gwen!"_

_A voice that sounded like a demented Cortana taunted Ben as he ran toward the redhead's scream. "Some hero you are," it mocked. "You can't save her!"_

_As the voice spoke, it made Ben shiver, morphing and twisting into some masculine demonic monstrosity. "It's just like the Gravemind!"_

_The demonic voice chuckled. "I assure you. I AM THE GRAVEMIND!" It roared. "Your other consciousnesses protect you from me, but they wish to show you the hardships one of your alternative selves will soon face at my bidding!"_

_Ben growled; something inside him screamed for the Parasite's head. "You lay one twisted tentacle on Gwen, and I'll…"_

_The monstrosity laughed, a deep throaty chuckle. "Hurry, Little Soldier." It seemed to hide a grin in its tone. "The Logic Plague will break your…" The thing seemed to shudder in ecstasy. "…delicious Construct. Then, she will be MINE!"_

Ben sat up like lightning as sweat poured from his body. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Belecus growled. _That is exactly how Dagon will fight you, Ben. He will attack you at you weaknesses._

"I know that!" Ben spat as his hands still shook. "The Gravemind from Halo was real!"

_We are omnipotent, Ben. _Serena reminded him. _We can take you anywhere or any "when" we need to while you are unconscious._

_There's a world…_

_…where you are born as son of the Librarian, Gwen is your Ancila, and you help Humanity during the Human-Covenant War. _Serena supplied without much fanfare. _In fact, that version of you just threatened the Prophets, he just doesn't know it, yet._

Belecus seemed to wave his counterpart off. _We have more urgent matters, Serena._ Belecus seemed to smile. _Like school…I'm still waiting for you to incapacitate JT and Cash._

Ben grabbed his backpack, having showered and dressed with the help of some Mystic speed while talking to the pair, and headed downstairs out the door. "You'll keep waiting, Belecus."

At school, Ben oddly felt more comfortable as the strange "training nightmare" went to the back of his mind. The day seemed fairly routine until Gwen walked into the class and sat next to Ben. The redhead looked like she'd been run over by a train. As Ben read Gwen's aura to check on her discretely, he shivered and pushed some of his Mana her way to help his girlfriend and cousin wake up.

Gwen smiled at him as some of the life returned to her face. "Thanks, Doofus."

"Dream training…" Ben grumbled under his breath as part of him paid attention to the lecture. "…is the worst!"

Gwen's eyes widened slightly. Then, she nodded in sympathy. "You too, huh?"

_Serena and Belecus have some brutal training methods._ Ben told Gwen using small packets of Mana to relay his message.

Gwen gave the brunette a momentary look of shock when she felt his Mana and heard his voice in her mind. Then, Gwen figured it out and responded. _You think that's bad? Try training with Grandma Verdona._

Ben only chuckled softly at his cousin's misfortune.

Before the conversation could continue when the bell rang for second period, a dark Mana current pulled at the duo and caused them to shiver in tandem. Ben tensed, looked around at the feeling trying to backtrack it, and glared at a handsome blonde with an almost golden shine to his eyes. The unknown creep made Ben want to walk up and beat him to a pulp, but Ben held his desires back for now. _Calm down, Ben. _The teen told himself as he tried to soothe his building temper. _It's just your first official day back at school since you and Gwen began dating. You're overprotective. That's all._

By the time lunch came, Ben chewed at the bit to get this stranger who seemed to appear out of thin air over the weekend and show him exactly why you don't mess with him or his cousin. The guy set off all Ben's alarm bells, and Ben was fairly certain Gwen felt similarly if her anxiety was anything to go off of. With that driving him, Ben marched up to the guy.

"Hey, New Guy…" Ben walked over.

"You don't like me very much." The guy seemed to salivate as he looked at Ben though. "I'm Michael."

"No, and my girlfriend is right there, Edward!" Ben growled as he pushed down the odd creep factor. _This guy isn't Vilgax or Hex. _Ben thought in confusion. _Why does he…?_ It hit Ben like a tank round to the face as Ben remembered the feeling of darkness earlier that day around Michael. _Apostate Magus…_ Ben stood as if jolted to his feet by lightning.

The guy smiled in a sickly way that also despite everything still managed to be handsome. The fallen Magus strolled over towards Emily. "You look so pretty I could just eat you up!"

Bystanders or no bystanders, this vampiric psycho had to be stopped here and now! Ben lashed onto the older teen with a Mana rope and quickly felt the drain begin to sap his strength. "Gwen!"

"I gotcha, Doofus." Gwen said as she bound Michael with her own Mana.

"Let's…" Ben struggled to tow the Mana vampire even with Gwen's help. "…see if you...sparkle or burn." Ben said as he and Gwen grunted under the strain.

_I hope he burns… _Belecustold Ben. _That shit hurts!_

Once outside, Ben and Gwen released their Mana bindings on Michael. The Magi collapsed at once on the grass before their bodies greedily drank in the ambient Mana in the grass and air. It wasn't much, but it was enough to talk via Mana "data packets".

_We…need to…fight. _Gwen told her boyfriend tiredly.

It was then Ben had a flash of crazy genius along with his nightmare from the previous night. "Hey, Michael!" Ben growled as he struggled to his feet. "I'll make…you a…deal. Take me and leave Gwen alone!"

The energy vampire smiled that same creepy yet handsome smile. "My, the youngsters work fast these days." He offered Ben a handshake. "So, you Bonded with her. Have you?" Michael's eyes sparkled with unhinged glee. "Lovely Gwen's Mana smells delicious. I can't wait to taste it."

Ben tried to hide his smirk as the brunette lined up his most ferocious nightmares of losing his Gwen before he took Michael's hand.

Almost immediately, Michael began shaking. Ben only held tighter as the monster let out a scream. "Make…it…stop!" The beast pleaded on deaf ears. "It hurts…please! Help me!"

Ben's visage turned from mischievous to dark as night in a flash. "You want my pain? You'll take it all!" Ben growled. "My vision of the Gravemind as the parasite bragged about violating an alternative version of Gwen…being forced to watch in absolute horror as Gwen chose to date Kevin: the guy who tried to kill her twice without a second thought…Xenon…Kai…EVERYTHING!"

Somehow, Michael found the strength to wrench his hand out of Ben's. The brunette only shook his head and sighed before he called Grandpa Max to see if someone could pick up the nigh catatonic Michael Morningstar. Ben looked down with slight pity at the corrupted Magus.

Before he could think on it more, a familiar hand on his shoulder brought Ben out of his musings, and green met green. Peace swept over Ben in that moment. Then, Gwen hugged him fiercely before she slapped the fire out of his face.

"Benjamin Tennyson! If you EVER pull something like that again…" Tears ran down the redhead's face before she captured him in a tender kiss. "…there will be trouble!"

All was not as it seemed while the men loaded Michael in the back of special Black Ops van. Inside Michael's mind, the teen kept pleading with an entity cloaked in shadow. The master was not pleased with his pawn.

_"Master, have mercy! I can get them! I…NO! PLEASE…." _A final scream from Michael went unheard by anyone in his comatose state as the lifeless monotone drone of a heart monitor filled the van.

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	10. Fallout (Part One)

Chapter Ten: Fallout (Part One)

Serena and Belecus noticed the precarious predicament the Tennysons had unwittingly put themselves in as they vanquished the Dark Sorcerer. _Ben, we have a situation. _Serena tried to warn Ben, but her soft warning went unheeded as Ben continued to enjoy the feeling of Gwen's lips on his.

Belecus turned to Ben. _Benjamin, look around you, Human!_

Again, Ben proved unfazed by the Voices' warnings.

_For The One's sake… _Belecus grumbled in irritation before he and Serena yelled together: _LOOK AROUND, YOU LOVESTRUCK FLESHY SAC OF HORMONES!_

Ben groaned and stumbled, holding his head as a sudden migraine forced him out of the lovely kiss. "What?!"

_Look around you,_ Serena said softly while Belecus still fumed in his corner of Ben's mind.

At the gentle command, Ben and Gwen looked around themselves. A gathering of people witnessed the Mystic duel. Ben cursed when he saw a particular news van pull up next to the group of onlookers which consisted mostly of his and Gwen's lunch period peers who followed the commotion and most likely saw everything.

_Damn it!_ The teen thought as Ben's glare settled hard on Will Harangue. _My own personal JJJ._

The reporter in question looked at Ben with something that seemed to be a scowl trying not to make its way into a smug victory smile. "So, the menace has struck again?"

Ben sighed in aggravation before he noted the recording light as it flared red on the camera and sighed. "This is a personal matter, Mister Harangue." Ben kept his voice level with coaching from Serena. "If you do not remove yourself from these premises…" Ben looked directly into the camera. "Your network executives will be getting their meals from the soup kitchen at Fourth and Main by the time I'm done."

"I know you're a menace! I've seen those clips of your alien friends wrecking town!"

Ben thought for a moment and carefully considered his words intent on disarming the man of any indication or indirect evidence to the truth. "Where are these aliens?" Ben looked around. "Everyone here is Human."

"I saw you! I know I did! Jimmy Jones is a reliable…" The man shivered and reeled as if he had been punched in the face by a concrete piling when he saw Ben only answer him with a bored and unimpressed look.

"I don't know where you get your information, sir." Ben said calmly. "Any journalist with an ounce of integrity would verify his sources." Ben shook his head. "I could sue for false criminal accusations and invasion of my right to privacy unless you turn off those cameras and get out of my damn face!"

"You can't…"

"He can." Gwen cut the reporter off swiftly. "United States law protects an individual's right to privacy without probable cause and a warrant, so unless you want to fulfill Ben's promise, move those cameras and destroy the footage."

Gwen smiled softly and squeezed Ben's hand in response. A small data packet of mana brushed Ben's mind. _I'm right here, Ben._ Gwen told him as she flashed him a comforting smile. _We'll face this together._

Ben returned the smile with a weak one. _Thanks, Dweeb._

Will took notice of how the duo acted and had to hide a smirk. _If only I had…_ The man looked over and saw a black-haired boy with his brown-haired, bespectacled friend staring at a phone in shock over by themselves. _Perfect_.

On the way home from school due to an early out for Ben and Gwen a few minutes later, Ben couldn't stop thinking about that propaganda-pushing asshole that called himself a reporter. _People like him are why most people aren't ready for the tech and truth of aliens._ Ben thought for a moment. _Magic wouldn't be received much differently._

Belecus spoke up. _Why did they let the class go back home after the fight with Michael?_

_The average person isn't used to combat like Gwen and me, so the principal ordered everyone to go he to help cope with possible trauma. _

Ben opened his mouth to say more, but a comforting brush of Mana against his own made Ben smile. "Thanks for shutting him down earlier, Gwen."

Gwen scowled. "He better be glad we were surrounded by people." Gwen shook her head. "I don't know what that guy has against you."

"News hounds are all the same." Ben muttered. "They don't give a shit about people. As long as they gain ratings, nobody cares."

"Kaine North and Tim Dean," Gwen said softly with an irritated nod.

Ben nodded and shuttered, "Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures…" The teen groaned. "I'd almost forgotten about that train wreck."

Gwen smiled as she motioned toward the dojo. "Come on, Ben." The redhead told her boyfriend. "At least, we'll be early for Karate practice today."

Ben nodded and felt tension he didn't know he was holding leave his body. Then, the young hero laughed and ran after Gwen. "Race ya!"

At the dojo, Sensei sat on the mat doing his pre-class ritual of calming meditation when he heard the door open and two people enter. _Who could that be?_ When the master opened his eyes and saw the pair, he smiled and stood. "What brings you to class early, Tennysons?" The man asked.

Gwen blushed and bowed to the man. "Forgive us, Sensei."

"We were released from school early and hoped you wouldn't mind us." Ben informed the teacher. "Are we interrupting?"

Sensei looked at the teens in momentary confusion. "Do you always speak as one mind between two bodies?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle before he motioned for them to change. _They seem…better than when I saw them on Friday._ The man noted after Ben and Gwen left. An errant thought passed through the man's mind. Stubbornly, with a shake his head, the man dismissed it. _I doubt they accepted their feelings over the course of a single weekend._

When Ben and Gwen returned in their respective gis, they smiled and joined the man on the floor. The pair sat cross-legged across from him and let themselves relax in the relative peace of the nearly vacant dojo. The atmosphere felt different than it had Friday, less tense between the two cousins, and Ben was glad for the change. His Mana was easier to control in a both physically and emotionally calm area. That was one thing he didn't want to lose control of in front of the Sensei.

On the note of changed atmosphere, Ben also noticed the man seemed to have a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "What is on your mind, Sensei?"

"You seem…more balanced than when we last met, Benjamin." The older man smiled. "What happened to you?"

Ben tensed at the question.

Noticing this and Gwen's hand on Ben's in a bid for comfort, the teacher spoke gently. "If it is uncomfortable, I will not force an answer."

Ben shook his head. "No," he let out a sigh. "Over the weekend, certain events forced us to accept our feelings for each other."

Sensei only nodded. "I suspected something like that."

This threw the cousins. "What?!"

The man chuckled. "Calm yourselves." He smiled. "I may be an older man, but I am not a fool."

The cousins' thoughts went back to their first match with spectators. The atmosphere then felt charged as if a pin could cause it to explode out violently like a popped balloon. The new view of that match caused a blush to race across the duo's faces.

"It was so obvious!" Gwen blurted as she covered her face in a mix of fear and embarrassment.

Ben smiled and nodded as he remembered Serena and Belecus teasing him after their match. Then, the smile faded as Ben remembered the match itself. "My movements and strikes were fast and angry." Ben said softly. "I don't really know why…" Ben lied because he had to protect the reality of Magick. "…but the match made me think of Gwen's ex-boyfriend."

The man nodded in understanding as his suspicions were confirmed. "Your heartbreak bled into the fight."

Ben nodded. "I thought I'd accepted the reality, but I guess I never did."

Gwen looked at Ben, and the teacher noticed a moment of searing pain pass through the couple. Then, the man shook his head and fought back his curiosity about the matter. The man was glad that his students had begun to heal after what was almost certainly years of pain. "I think you are ready, Benjamin."

The brunette gave the Sensei a surprised look. "Sir?"

The teacher nodded and stood. "You came to me, and Gwen asked to test your skill for placement. You bested her, and she is a First Degree Black Belt."

Ben looked between his girlfriend and master in a moment of shock. Then, he bowed excitedly. "Thank you, Sensei."

The man held his hand palm out. "(Stop!)"

Ben froze. "(Yes, Sensei?)"

"You will be challenged for your belt when class begins. Be ready, Benjamin."

"Yes, sir."

After the day's class, Ben couldn't keep the smile from his face in spite of the soreness as he held a black belt in his bag with his gi. "That was…a workout." He said between breaths. "I need to work on cardio more."

Gwen nodded. "Cardio would help build your stamina, Ben." She then laughed. "You're definitely not XLR8 anymore."

Ben rubbed his sore right shoulder and groaned. "I know, but…" Ben winced as he hit a tender spot on his shoulder. "…why does he have to push so hard?"

Gwen smiled at Ben with a twinkle in her eyes. "Sensei sees your potential, Ben." Gwen put a hand on his sore shoulder and pushed a bit of her mana into the area to soothe it as she talked. "Remember when Grandpa Max had you training with the Omnitrix and using every spare moment you would allow to get more experience with it?"

Ben nodded.

Gwen smiled. "Sensei is doing the same. Only this time, it's your body instead of a piece of Galvan tech."

Ben nodded again and turned to go to his house but stopped when he saw his Dad marching up the driveway toward them. Something felt off about the situation because Carl never met Ben outside after school. They usually met while Carl was doing something around the kitchen table on Ben's way to his room. For that matter, Ben noted his Dad's expression as not "pissed off" but close enough to make Ben uncomfortable. For a moment, Ben thought of the Limax but saw his Dad sweating and quickly dismissed the idea. _What could be wrong?_ Ben thought. _All that happened today was the fight at school, but Gwen and I had to protect the others._

Gwen noticed the odd situation too and did a quick scan of the Mana around the house. She nodded to Ben when she felt six Mana signatures. _Grandpa Max, Grandma Verdona, Uncle Carl, Aunt Sandra, Mom, and Dad, why would everyone…?_ The train of thought crashed to a halt as Gwen squeezed Ben's hand and looked at him. _They know!_

Ben looked at Gwen and felt his Mana surge protectively at Gwen's fear. "Grandpa Max and Grandma Verdona will help our Dads keep their heads." Ben said evenly."…and your Mom has already said she supports us, so it will be ok, Gwen." Ben told the redhead even though he wasn't sure who needed the comfort more in that moment. "Even if they can't, no matter what happens; we're together."

Gwen nodded and interlaced her fingers in Ben's as they walked into a preverbal den of lions because she could already feel her and Ben's energies begin to surge chaotically as they approached.

Carl unfolded his arms gradually as the couple approached. "So, Ben," Carl began in a deceptively casual tone Ben and Gwen picked up right away. "What happened at school?"

"An energy vampire attacked me and Gwen." Ben said as he forced himself to supplant his father with an imaginary visage and form of Vilgax to be able to keep his stone mask from crumbling. "We fought him and defended the students."

Carl nodded as the three walked into the living room. "Anything else?"

Ben noticed the TV frozen on a frame of Will Harangue with a timecode and bar on the bottom of the screen. Fuck! Ben cursed mentally as Serena and Belecus prepared for the worst. _That bastard got us!_

Gwen gave Ben a brief soft smile. _In doing so, the reporter just gave us a ready-made noose and rope to hang him._

Ben's anger momentarily abated when he heard that. _How do you want to do this?_

_Relax._ The more experienced Magus told him. _Let it play out. Then, we defend ourselves if necessary._

Ben gave a slight nod as he and Gwen sat down together. When Carl saw this, he glared fireballs at Ben.

"Son, move." He said in a struggling-to-be-calm voice. "Now."

Gwen and Ben shared a worried look and telegraphed their Manas' state of chaos to Verdona. _You can't let him separate us! _They pleaded. _It could be dangerous!_

Verdona shivered. The currents of Mana flowing through her grandchildren at that moment were so knotted, tangled, and hopelessly disrupted from the stress they were currently under due to knowledge that they were found out. A break in physical contact right now could be explosive and deadly.

Verdona nudged Natalie as the two women got up. Verdona took Ben's hand that formerly held Gwen's while Natalie took her daughter's. _Your mother and I will keep both you and Ben stable for now. _The eldest sorceress in the house told Gwen. _Relax, Child. You and Ben are safe and will stay so._

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Frank exploded after Carl played the segment that featured the photo of the cousins in lip lock.

Natalie tried her best to control the waves of chaotic Mana that rolled from Gwen and crashed into her. Her daughter needed to be in contact with Ben to repair the knotty Mana; she knew that. Her husband, however, was too blinded by his rage to see the agony in his daughter's eyes. Verdona only fared marginally better because of her experience with Mana.

It was a nightmare. Belecus and Serena had seen enough and both were angry at the fathers for causing so much pain and being blind to it. The Alien X Personalities were through sitting on the sidelines. As Belecus and Serena acknowledged each other in their decision, they made the choice in the time it took light to move across an atom of hydrogen.

Suddenly, Ben spoke, but the voice was a strange fusion of male and female. "UNANIMOUS!" The voice announced. "_TIME STOPPING MOTION CARRIED!_"

Everything stopped. Even light seemed to freeze in its tracks at the command. The screen on the TV looked awkward as it was frozen between frames. Carl, Frank, and Sandra looked at Ben in shock while Max, Verdona, and Natalie lost all color in their faces. Verdona and Natalie didn't move a muscle because they could still fill the Mana surging, but Max's legs keep twitching like he was fighting the urge to bolt.

"_CARL AND FRANK TENNYSON, WE WISH TO DISCUSS SOME ISSUES WITH YOU!_"

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	11. Fallout (Part Two)

**Autor's Note: **Two chapters in two days?! That's got to be a record. On the other hand, I am really exited for this part of the story, so without further fanfare...

Chapter Eleven: Fallout (Part Two)

Carl glared at Ben. He just knew it was a trick. "Ben, stop this!"

"_Even if Ben wanted to, he only has limited knowledge of spells._" A woman from inside Ben answered. "_Trying to bring time to a halt for any span would be lethal._"

A male voice continued to answer. "_Indeed, this is not a trick, Tennysons,_" Belecus stated. "_I am Belecus and she, Serena._"

The men stared at Ben in shock for a moment. _It has to be a ploy to scare us into letting this happen._ Carl thought. _This can't be real!_

"_We are real as you are, Carl, probably more so._" Serena said calmly with a slight edge to her voice. "_We lived in the Omnitrix then Utimatrix as components of the psyche of its version of a Celestialsapien, Alien X._"

"_Rather than perish with the device when Ben foolishly chose to help Gwen_," Belecus seemed to stop for a moment. "_We voted to take shelter in the boy's mind._"

Carl and Frank looked at their father to see if what they were saying was true. "Celestialsapien?" Frank asked. "Dad, what's that?"

Max sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Celestialsapiens as a race rarely do much because the dueling consciousnesses inside every individual rarely agree." Max sighed. "That's just as well because the individuals are omnipotent."

Frank and Carl froze.

Carl looked back as Ben's face had the ghost of a smirk on it. _I don't want to be wiped from existence for pissing these two off._

However, Frank wanted to know more about the situation that led to the Ultimatrix's destruction because his daughter seemed to be at the core of it all. "What happened to the Watch?"

Serena glared at Frank, irritated that he had yet to ask how his daughter fit into the scenario. "_Your daughter's ex-boyfriend happened._" She stopped a moment before the room melted into an outdoor scene at the wave of Ben's hand.

_Ben, Gwen, and Kevin were on the trail of what they thought was some unknown tech. After some bickering about Kevin's lack of finesse with the door to the museum, the trio went inside. As they drew nearer to the source, Kevin became more and more erratic until they came to The Hands._

Max couldn't suppress a shiver. One of his first Plumber assignments was to guard The Hands. It was an initiation rite of sorts among the ranks of Plumbers…and Max HATED every second of that assignment because the artifact made him nervous. Even seeing it now in a broadcasted memory made the man uncomfortable.

_From there, things went wacky. Gwen touched the artifact and eventually pulled an alternate of herself out of the stone wheel. The alternate Gwen then proceeded to rat on Kevin and reveal him as nothing more than an energy-addict who saw Gwen as his permanent fix. All Hell broke loose after that until Ben put a stop to it with Ultimate Echo Echo._

"You murdered Kevin?!" Carl demanded.

Ben glared at his father through the pain of his tangled Mana. "It was him or Gwen." Ben's eyes hardened. "I chose Gwen and will always choose her."

Natalie nodded. "I'm proud of you for protecting my daughter." Natalie then glared daggers at her brother-in-law.

Frank stared at the image of Kevin with a look of rage on his face. "How did we not know the bastard was a fucking psycho?!"

Ben's eyes widened. He never heard his uncle cuss before now, and it unnerved him. Quickly, Ben mentally asked Serena to explain. _Can you tell them about Paradox?_

Serena sighed. "_It wasn't your fault._" She tried to reassure the man. "_The Timewalker, a man who can manipulate and go through time at will, changed memories around Kevin to give Kevin what he desired._"

Frank stared at his nephew. "What's to stop this 'Timewalker' from repeating himself?"

Belecus chuckled, "_A legal technicality in a treaty he signed between our race and himself will make sure he doesn't meddle anymore._" The Voice of Rage and Aggression seemed almost giddy at the prospect of the loophole. "_He cannot come within 100,000 lightyears of any individual Celestialsapien._"

"_Since Ben houses us now,_" Serena picked up. "_He is technically half-Celestialsapien, a quarter Magus, and a quarter Human...legally speaking. (His genetics are a more complex matter.) Therefore, The Timewalker cannot approach Ben within the limits of the restraining order._"

Frank actually smiled and gave a sigh of relief when he heard the scumbag wasn't going to be able to screw with his daughter's head anymore. Thoughts of Gwen brought Frank back to the memories that currently seemed paused around them. Frank motioned to the memories and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Please, continue."

_On the way back from the museum, Gwen shook and fought tears after the information she had learned. Ben could sense this. Her glowing eyes and hands were a large giveaway, too. Acting on instinct, Ben managed to get to Gwen, hold her tight, and absorb her explosive wave of Mana before it could affect anything. _

Verdona nodded. "Son, THAT is why you don't separate a Magus couple when they are stressed or scared." The woman pointed to something that looked like a nuclear flash after Gwen screamed but nanoseconds before Ben touched her. "An unstable Magus is more powerful than a hydrogen bomb if they release the energy instantly as Gwen did here."

Carl shivered. "I almost…"

Natalie glared at him. "You almost split the Magi equivalent of an atomic nucleus in your wife's house!"

The look Natalie gave Carl made the man want to dig his grave right there, jump inside it, and bury himself like a cartoon character. The look Sandra gave her husband wasn't much better. Sandra walked over and shook her head angrily at him.

"What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't." Carl admitted. "I let my anger get to me." Carl looked at his wife. "Can you blame me? My son and niece are dating behind my back!"

Max and Verdona gave their son a look.

"Your mother is a sorceress." Verdona said with irritation clear in her voice as she gestured to herself then to Max. "Your father has had relationships with alien women, too."

Max paled. _She knows about Xylene?_

"Yes, Max." Verdona said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she passively read his mind. "I know of the Uxorite, but you pursued her after you joined the Plumbers and thought I died. I don't blame you for trying to find comfort in another."

Max breathed a sigh of relief, cleared his throat, and looked at his sons with a slight blush coloring his face. "With what you just learned, I don't want you boys pestering the kids."

Frank and Carl stared at their father. Was he scolding them as if they were children again?!

"Am I understood?"

_That would be a yes._ Carl thought with a shake of his head.

"Yes, sir.", chorused the Tennyson fathers.

Verdona smiled and gently transferred Ben's hand back to Gwen's. Then, the elder woman clapped her hands together as she felt the Mana fields around her grandchildren start to return to a healthy state. "While the children rest to restore their Mana flow," the woman restored her youthful appearance from when Max met her.

Max could only stare, his face like a guppy gasping out of water. Carl looked at his brother then the TV as it began playing again with Will Harangue. The brothers felt a moment of putty for the reporter. _I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of her anger. _The siblings thought unknowingly in unison.

"Let's go 'play' with Mister Harangue."

Natalie nodded. For once, she could agree with Verdona. _That asshole will pay for his crimes._ The mother thought to herself as Sandra went to follow them.

"I wouldn't." Carl warned his wife. "You DON'T want to get in the crossfire of an angry sorceress. I imagine two are much worse." Carl shivered. "Last time I smarted off to Mom, I spent a week going to school as 'Carol'. It's best to leave them be."

Sandra nodded. _So that's why he refuses to help me shop for clothes when I need new ones. _The blonde couldn't help a giggle as she pictured Carl's alter ego in a frilly pink dress.

Will could just see the downfall of Ben Tennyson. It was as good as already happened. As he continued with his newscast, the man could not keep a smile from his lips as he continued to read off the stories of the day. A loud crash during the live feed brought the man to a halt. "Cut to commercial!" He told the cameraman frantically.

Verdona had to fight to keep the laughter quiet as she slipped around the studio. Humans were so easily spooked. The woman smiled as she nodded to Natalie who silently told her position just outside the exit of the break room. Muffling her steps to silence with a Mana cushion, Verdona kept looking for a place to lay the plan into action and smiled when she spotted a rack of stage lights and threw herself into a fall

"Hello, William." A young woman said with red hair and a lithe body as she slowly got up after it appeared she felt into some lights to make full use of her ability to distract men and some women in this body. Then, she slowly approached him with a sway to her hips and held her head with a soft groan. The woman covered her mouth cutely and gasped. "Forgive me for being oh so clumsy!" She groaned and moved her hand. "I think it's going to bruise."

Will straightened his jacket and smiled as he put on his best suave face. "It's no trouble at all." He said before he kissed the spot on her head.

"Really?" She asked as Verdona fought not to gag at the toxic Mana that passed to her through the brief contact. Verdona then put her plan into motion and put on a pouty face. "Those poor kids…"

Will stopped. "I'm sorry?"

"Those sweethearts you exposed on the local news." Verdona said with a convincing act of discomfort.

"Those 'sweethearts' are sick!" Will said angrily. "They're cousins."

Verdona pretended to look at her nails. "I don't really see anything wrong with that."

"You should! That entire family needs to be strung up!"

Verdona's eyes flared for an instant. _I see now there will be no mercy._ Verdona changed her voice. "Is that so?"

Will stumbled at the anger he heard. "W-What?"

"You think my family is disgusting?" Verdona's eyes and hands began to glow with angry power.

As Will tried to run, his exit was blocked by a tall brunette. "Who are you?!"

"I'm just a concerned mother." Natalie said as she uncrossed her arms and glared at the man. She then looked at Verdona who nodded. "I don't take kindly to you sticking your nose in my daughter's love-life even AFTER she and her boyfriend threatened to sue you for illegally recording them."

Will smirked. "What?" He asked as he lifted a smug brow. "What are you going to do to a respected newsman on the word of two unreliable teenagers?"

"There's something you need to know about my family, sir." Natalie bound him against the wall with tendrils of yellow Mana. "We don't like slander, so if you're going to act like a troll…"

"…you will become a troll." Verdona finished as she revealed herself.

Then, the women began chanting in an odd language. Gradually, Will felt his body morph into a squat, ugly, fat, four foot tall blue-skinned beast. His angry cursing came out as unintelligible hoots and pig grunting with a few squeals mixed in.

"Go in the sewers." Verdona told the former Human. "There, you will find your own kind. You may be accepted as one of them."

Natalie smirked. "…as long as you don't mention messing with a Magus' family."

Verdona and Natalie nodded to each other. "I believe our work here is done, Natalie."

Natalie frowned. "I hope Ben and Gwen have recovered by now."

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	12. Counsel and a Challenge

**Author's Note: **This is what five hours of focused quiet, alone time does for me. Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve: Counsel and a Challenge

Back at the house while Verdona and Natalie dealt with the reporter, Ben and Gwen calmed down considerably after Carl and Frank had a stern talking to. Once the pair of lovers fell into restful sleep after the harrowing and painful few hours they had, Carl picked up his son and carried Ben to his room while Frank tucked his daughter into bed in Carl and Sandra's guest bedroom.

Frank watched his daughter twitch and move until she relaxed further and fell into a deeper state of sleep.

Frank sighed as he stood at the doorway and looked at his daughter's sleeping form. "It's been a while since I've seen her so peaceful."

Natalie smiled at her husband and squeezed his arm after she walked up behind him. "Reminds you of when she was little. Doesn't it?"

Frank jumped and turned to his wife in shock with a slight frown, "Yeah, Nat; but…"

His statement trailed off as Gwen softly called for Ben in her sleep. It wasn't a panicked cry but more an endearing purr as if the redhead was in the middle of a date with Ben. The father sighed as an image of Kevin trying to seize his daughter made the man shiver.

Natalie looked at him. "I know. That's why Carl and Sandra want to talk with us in the living room."

Natalie put a hand on her husband's shoulder and gently led him to the meeting. Frank still wasn't absolutely sold on the idea. Being raised in America where the stigma and taboo were still high around cousin relationships, Frank had a hard time shaking the discomfort he felt at the idea. He let out another tired sigh to relieve the discomfort in his gut at the thought before he and Natalie sat down together across from Carl and Sandra.

"So, our daughter is dating her cousin?"

Sandra smiled. "It looks like it." Her face then took on a puzzled expression. "Why was it dangerous to separate them earlier when they now are sleeping peacefully in separate rooms with no problems?"

"I can explain Sandra." Natalie said as she nodded to the question and generated a ball of yellow Mana around her hand. "This is what we Magi call Mana, but it has many names and is the energy generated by living beings."

Sandra and Carl nodded.

Carl opened his mouth and began to ask, "You can generate energy. What does that-?"

Natalie laughed softly. "I see where Ben gets his impatience from."

After a moment of thinking, Frank understood where his wife intended to go. "Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change from one form to another." Frank then turned to his brother. "Picture a Magus like a nuclear power plant, Carl." Frank said. "Like any power station, a Magus has failsafes and ways to release excess energy."

To demonstrate, Frank gripped his wife's glowing hand and directed Carl and Sandra to watch a nasty looking scar on Frank's other arm. After a moment, the scar began to glow dimly with yellow light and fade. As the light surrounded the scar, the old bound began to shrink until the light faded completely.

"I can't feel the full effects of Natalie's Mana because I'm Human and not a Magus." Frank explained. "Ben and Gwen, on the other hand, can freely exchange excess Mana to calm and help each other while one is under stress."

Turning their attention back to Natalie, Carl and Sandra were surprised to see the woman looked visibly better, less tense, and in a more relaxed state.

"So that's why Dad stays so fit and energetic?"

Natalie blushed and looked at them. "You'll have to ask your Mom about that, Carl. However, I don't advise it."

Frank nodded. "Sharing Mana is a very intimate action for Magi and their chosen significant other."

Frank sighed and finished explaining the reason. "It's a taboo to talk of such things unless you're teaching in a small setting like now or discussing the matter with a lover."

Carl and Sandra's eyes widened at the implication. Sandra seemed the hardest hit by the revelation as she covered her mouth and turned red as an apple. Carl just laughed nervously, partly at his wife and partly at the sensitive nature of the subject.

Hurrying to get off that subject, Sandra questioned, "So… uh… what happened earlier today?"

Natalie glared at Carl. "You tried to drain the water from the rod cooling tanks while the reactor was in a critical meltdown."

Sandra and Carl paled at the comparison and what could have happened had Verdona and Natalie not stepped in.

Natalie shook her head and continued explaining. "Every Magus is aware of his or her flow of Mana. In healthy individuals, it persists as a comforting warmth in the back of the mind."

The sorceress got up and began drawing with her Mana in the air as if she were marking on a whiteboard. A river took shape in the drawing, and when Natalie was done, one could hear water babbling like a stream.

Carl and Sandra nodded in conformation that they understood.

"Like a river or a stream, it follows currents and can be harnessed through spells the way a waterwheel uses the flow of water for power."

A creaking old water mill soon joined the stream in the drawing to help with visuals. It even turned with the flow of the stream as Carl and Sandra watched.

"However, high stress and fear can hamper this flow."

A large dam suddenly appeared. The waterwheel stopped, and Carl and Sandra felt as if painful pressures started to build in their chests.

"Uncomfortable, isn't it?" Natalie asked as she walked back to the couch.

Meanwhile, the pressure behind the dam began to build. Sandra and Carl looked at each other, shot up as one, and raced to wipe the dam from the drawing. With a sigh of relief when the dam was erased, Carl and Sandra stared at Natalie.

"Now that I have your full attention…" Natalie said as she looked Carl and Sandra in the eyes. "Imagine a hurricane dumping flooding amounts of rain into that stream while the dam is in place, and you get a **taste **of the pain Ben and Gwen experienced while you boys had your hissy fits."

Sandra nodded. "Without a way to release the pressure, the currents of Mana gradually became a tangled maelstrom in the once calm stream."

Natalie nodded. "… and two nuclear power plants were reduced to dangerously back feeding on each other to try and elevate the excessive energy."

Carl flinched. "I… I had no idea."

Natalie glared at him. "No, you did not." Natalie pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm more aggravated with Verdona for not explaining this since both of you could and did have Magus children."

"Back to the subject at hand…" Frank said as he looked at his brother and sister-in-law while his wife meditated above the floor to bring her emotions and Mana under control. "… it would be foolish to keep them apart now." Frank nodded over to his wife. "Over time, Magi in relationships blend their Mana to the point that Magi who have been married for a long time have indistinguishable Mana signatures except to each other."

Natalie stopped meditating and looked at Carl and Sandra. "Right now, I would say Ben and Gwen are in the beginnings of what Magi call 'Entanglement'. Think of it like espousal. In Magi culture, Ben and Gwen are basically married because they freely share Mana with each other with no resistance."

Carl and Sandra paled. "WHAT?!"

Natalie couldn't help it and laughed hard. "I told you sharing Mana was an _intimate_ experience for Magi." Natalie shook her head with a broad smile and continued to explain. "As two Magi progress in their relationship, sharing Mana becomes easier and more enjoyable for the pair."

Carl's eyes flared as he made a dark connection. "If that's true, then stealing Mana from another Magus…"

"… is akin to a sex crime for Humans, yes." Natalie supplied grimly.

The room sat in silence for a few moments until a scream ripped through the house. When Natalie did not move at the sound of her daughter's distress, Sandra looked ready to kill the woman.

"That's your daughter! Go help her!"

Natalie shook her head with tears in her eyes. "I can't!" The woman seemed broken by the admission. "Only Ben can help her with the aftershocks of the pain since they are part of each other now."

"Oh…" was Sandra's only response as she watched Natalie softly cry at the knowledge she couldn't help her daughter while Frank did his best to comfort his wife..

_In Gwen's mind, she was having a wonderful dream of the family she would have. That all changed when sky turned red and the land black as night. A pair of red eyes looked over Gwen as she stood alone on the scorched earth where twins she played with now lay on the blackened ash as nothing but bleached skeletons. She wanted to cry, but rage kept her tears inside. This __**thing **__destroyed everything she ever loved, and now, it was going to pay!_

"_Yes, fight and die, Little Magus!" Dagon mocked. "You are alone and helpless, an infant facing the might of a great dragon!" The demonic voice chuckled. "Do your worst. I shall humor you and delay your death.!"_

_A bright green portal made the presence shrink and cry out in angry frustration and pain. Then, Ben stepped out of the portal, his face hard with absolute fury. Next, a female version of Ben in Amazonian armor appeared on Ben's left while a buffed and soldierly Ben in Roman armor, with eyes that burned with hate even Ares himself couldn't muster, appeared on Ben's right._

"_My power grows exponentially in this dimension by the day, and all you can summon to defend yourself, child, are three Human soldiers?"_

_Ben smirked and looked at the Amazon and the Hoplite. "__**Dagon, you wish to challenge Gwen and us for domination of this Universe?**__" The three spoke as one. "__**Continue to cower in mind games, beast!**__"_

_Ben spoke alone this time. "You will fall." Ben was through playing with this creature. "Touch Gwen, and I will banish you to beyond the Source!" Ben glared at the eyes. "Fight like a man. Don't cower behind your arrows and mind games, Dagon. Face steel and rage.. I'll give you a war."_

As Gwen woke up, she couldn't help a shiver. The dream seemed so real. Gwen hoped it wasn't real, but as she opened her eyes and saw Ben clutching her in the covers with a deadly look on his face, she knew different. The tear tracks down his face didn't escape Gwen's notice as she looked down at Ben. For a brief moment, Gwen wondered what hideous scene Dagon played in his mind to have Ben, Belecus, and Serena up in arms as they crossed into her nightmare. Gwen pushed the thoughts back and stroked Ben's hair as the Magus continued to sleep with his head on her chest.

Ben woke up slowly and gave a tired smile to Gwen when he saw her face. Then, Ben realized where his head had been while he slept and scrambled to rectify his situation. A gentle but forceful hand guided him back down into Gwen's chest.

"I didn't say you could move, Ben."

"Yes, but I…" Ben blushed and looked up at Gwen.

Her look silenced any further protest. "I know you've been crying, Ben." The redhead told him softly. "Until we both calm down, don't move!"

Ben's eyes widened for a moment before he heeded Gwen's command and settled back down into her comforting warmth. "As you wish, m'lady."

Both knew they had perhaps kicked the biggest hornets' nest in their lives and challenged a creature beyond heir reality, so they enjoyed each other's company without care. They had both seen life without the other in that night and refused to let the horrible vision even come close to fruition. That started with confirming that they both still had each other and ended with Dagon retreating with his tail between his legs.

_I will always keep you safe, Gwen. _Ben swore to himself as he lay there in contentment.

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	13. Secrets Revealed

**Author's Note: **I'm back, people! This chapter really sees a dark point for Gwen. Oh, I don't own Batman, Joker, or Arkham Asylum. Those belong to DC. 

Chapter Thirteen: Secrets Revealed

"Kids, time for school!" Natalie's voice rang through the house and found Ben and Gwen hadn't moved after the shared nightmare.

After a few moments of waiting with no response, Natalie walked up the stairs to her daughter's room. The magus wondered what kept Gwen. Adjusting to Bound Mana didn't usually knock Magi out from the strain, if there was one to begin with, on the pair's Mana. When Natalie knocked, she heard quick shuffling. Then, more quiet noises greeted her as if someone inside was gently moving a pillow and comforter.

"Sleep a little longer, Gwen."

Ben's quiet and soothing voice met Natalie's ears. The mother nodded as she heard Ben get in the anointing shower, an unconscious smile on the brunette's face before she slipped back downstairs to wait for the pair. _Let her rest, Ben._ She thought. _It's been troubling night for both of you._ If only Natalie knew how right she was.

A few minutes later, Ben came downstairs with his backpack draped over his right shoulder wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, and his green and white jacket with a gym bag in his left hand and frowned at his aunt. "She was attacked in her dreams last night."

Natalie shivered. _I thought it was a horrible nightmare. Instead, my daughter was attacked!_

"We seem to have pissed off something ancient and powerful."

Natalie nodded. "What did it do?"

"I'll let Gwen tell you if she wants." Ben shook his head as his fist tightened around his karate duffle's strap. "Serena, Belecus, and I showed up late to the party, so I don't know that much anyway." Ben growled. "If only I'd…"

"Stop it!" Natalie said though she didn't know if she was speaking to herself or Ben, perhaps both. Natalie moved over to her nephew and looked at Ben. "Did you do all you could?"

"Yes, but I could have-."

Natalie cut him off. "All we can do is the best we can, Ben." She frowned at him and sighed. "You did your best." Then, the elder Magus' face perked up. "I couldn't ask for more from a nephew…or son-in-law."

Ben's eyes bulged, and he looked very much like a guppy out of water as his brain smoked and tried in vain to make his mouth and voice work.

A feminine giggle from Ben's mouth momentarily shocked Natalie. Then, she realized it was Serena.

"_Ben is temporarily unavailable at the moment." _The giggles continued. "_May I take a message?_"

Natalie nodded. "When Ben reboots, tell him Gwen is on her way, and please make sure Ben gets to school in time."

Ben's head gave a nod to Natalie. Then, his body turned and started running to the school a few blocks away.

Natalie shook her head as she watched Ben's body walk out the door with a laugh. "I hope Ben wakes up soon. Serena has him walking like a girl."

Halfway to school, Ben stopped and held his head with a groan. _What happened?_ He asked. _The last thing I remember was Aunt Natalie calling me her son-in-law._

_You passed out, _Serena supplied. _I took over, so you wouldn't be late for school._

Ben groaned. "I hope no one saw that."

The rest of the way to school proved uneventful. As Ben walked up to his locker, he heard Emily roll up behind him. Grabbing his necessary books in one hand and shutting the locker with the other, Ben turned to face Gwen's best friend.

"Hey, Emily."

She smiled. "I wasn't here yesterday." The blonde looked around as if she was afraid someone would overhear. "I get to school this morning and the whole school is buzzing about some beatdown you and Gwen gave some creep during lunch." She smirked at Ben with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. "He get too close to Gwen?"

_So they already replaced everyone's memories with a normal fight. Thank you, Grandpa Max! _Ben nodded. "I guess you could put it that way."

Emily had to fight a squeal. Then, she decided to fish for more information. "So did you really like the kiss?" Ben surprised her when he didn't hesitate or deny the statement.

"Yes," Ben sighed as he took a guess and answered her next question. "After some encouragement from Grandma Verdona on Friday…" _…and a certain sorceress' unwanted visit… _"We made it official."

Emily looked as if she would have jumped out of the chair and hugged Ben in happiness had she had the ability. "I'm so happy for both of you!" Then, Emily's face fell. "Your parents aren't too stoked about it. Are they?"

Ben laughed. "Aunt Natalie called me 'son-in-law' this morning."

Emily's eyes widened. "Well, that's…different."

Ben shrugged. "For a Tennyson, it doesn't even crack the top one hundred."

Suddenly, Gwen's voice of greeting from behind Emily made the girl reflexively jump. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, Em." Gwen said with a light blush as she fetched her own books from her locker. "Ben's right by the way."

Emily stopped. "You're agreeing with him?" She shook her head in mock disbelief. "I think you need to cut back on the Ben exposure."

Gwen sighed with a soft laugh. "This doesn't ever crack into the list of weird for us. Once you're cleared, I'll tell you some of them."

Emily quirked an eyebrow. "'Cleared'? You're not secret agents in training. Are you?"

Gwen elected to not answer the question. She and Ben still needed to talk to Grandpa Max about that.

Emily nodded once she realized she wasn't going to get an answer. "I'll see you at lunch, Gwen. Bye."

Lunch came around, and Emily still had no answers for why her close friend suddenly clammed up on her. They were so close as friends. If Gwen didn't talk about something to Emily, the girl knew it was painful for the redhead. After Emily got her tray and rolled back to her spot at the front of the fourth table in the first row, the girl ate slowly, her mind too full of questions with no answers to eat any faster.

"May I sit here?"

The kind voice of an older woman brought Emily's head up to look at the woman's face. "I don't mind."

The woman moved a chair and sat. "What's bothering you, child?"

Part of Emily flinched at being called "child", but the soothing voice pulled the answer from her. "My best friend is keeping something painful for her away from me, and all I want to do is help her. She won't let me in!"

"Ah, I see." The woman smiled. "You're the friend Gwen's told me about."

Emily stopped. "Who are you?"

The woman gently took a hand. "I'm Verdona, Gwen's grandmother."

Emily stared for a moment. Then, she sighed. "We've always been close."

Verdona nodded. "…and you want to regain the level of friendship you feel you have lost?"

Emily nodded. "Why are you here?"

Verdona's eyes narrowed. "That boy that attacked my grandkids yesterday," she growled. "There are going to be more like him before this is over, and while Ben is strong, there are some threats neither he nor Gwen have the skill to face."

Emily's eyes widened. "What? Are they like covert spies or something?"

Verdona couldn't help it and laughed. "No, they are Magi: people that can use Magic by manipulating Mana."

Emily nodded and muttered, "Gwen and Ben weren't kidding!" Then, Emily returned her attention to Verdona. "So that guy that Ben and Gwen defeated yesterday…?"

Verdona nodded. "He was an evil Magus." The woman sighed. "He went after Ben and Gwen for their Mana, their life energy."

Emily sighed. "They didn't tell me because I could be endangered."

"No," Verdona shook her head. "Magic is a tightly guarded secret my dear, has been that way since Salem."

Emily shivered as the Trials ran through her mind. "You truly trust me with this?"

Verdona nodded. "Gwen needs a person outside of family to confide in, and I trust you to be there."

With that, Emily was once again alone at her spot in cafeteria. The girl looked around, shrugged, threw away her trash, and rolled to the next class with a fresh perspective on her best friend and Gwen's cousin/boyfriend.

_Next, they're going to tell me Ben was all those alien heroes a while back._ The girl shook her head, but with what she just learned about the duo, anything was possible.

Thankfully, the day went by rather normally for Ben and Gwen, but a feeling of foreboding wouldn't leave him. It hung like a dark cloud over him. If he looked up at the sky, Ben could swear he saw dark red eyes staring at him.

Gwen saw Ben staring at the sky and put a hand on his shoulder which drew him back to the present. "Ben, are you ok?" The redhead could tell he was tense. It reminded her of the weeks following Xenon. _Talk to me. _She said to him with their unique form of mystic telepathy.

_I can't stop thinking about Dagon._ He told her as Serena handled the current assignment for Ben. That way, he and Gwen could focus on talking to each other. _This is the biggest foe we have faced to date, and I'm…scared._

Gwen sent some of her Mana toward Ben to soothe his building fear. _You could see and, to an extent, predict Vilgax's actions due to his personality and inferiority complex. _Gwen stated. _Dagon is out of your wheelhouse and is patient unlike foes we know._

Even with how little he knew and interacted with Dagon in Gwen's nightmare, Ben felt he could make an accurate and terrifying comparison. _He reminds me of Joker. _Ben said with a mental nod. _Joker isn't like most at Arkham. He may be insane, but this mental sickness that even the Bat can't diagnose doesn't interfere with his intellect. As a result, Joker can screw with your head to the point you fall head over heels for the psycho._

Gwen nodded.

_I'm mostly scared for you._ Ben thought as he shivered. _He can easily control people. I'm immune because he can't control Serena and Belecus, but you're alone in your head._

Gwen smiled and tried to reassure him. "It will be ok, Ben."

_Until Dagon is defeated, we won't be safe._

Gwen sighed as the bell rang to release them from school. She knew Ben was right, but she refused to give up hope.

Ben heard Belecus try to help him in his own way, _Bring it, you inter-dimensional coward!_

Almost home with her hand in Ben's, Gwen began to hear whispers. They started as annoying and creepy unintelligible voices for a moment before they became coherent.

_Look what you did to me!_

Gwen froze at the voice,looked around to see the wind blow through the trees on her street, and shook her head. _It's nothing._

_So, I am now nothing to you?_ The voice sneered evilly. _As I recall, you enjoyed our "sessions" as much as I did._

Ben looked over to see Gwen white as a sheet. When he tried to enter her mind, Ben felt like he was pushing against dragon scale plate armor. "Gwen!"

No response.

Ben shivered as he felt an oppressive unseen darkness surround them and cradled Gwen protectively. "Release her, DAGON!"

_I don't think I will, Foolish Boy! _Dagon laughed. _Not yet…_

In Gwen's mind, the voice continued to speak. _You loved when I would FEED!_ It circled her, laughing. _Admit it!_

_I had no idea what you were doing to me!_ Gwen growled back. _It felt wonderful and horrible at the same time!_

The presence in her mind coalesced to form the image of Kevin. As he reached out to touch her, Gwen flinched away.

_Lovely Gwen, _Kevin's ghost laughed. _You will never escape me!_

Ben felt it when Dagon released Gwen. The monster played with her like a toy, and it pissed Ben off. However, anger would not do anything to help his love right now. "Gwen," he said softly. "I'm here."

When her eyes fluttered open at Ben's voice, Gwen let out an anguished cry and buried her face in Ben's shoulder. The girl shivered and heaved with the weight of her sobs as she desperately reached for the comfort in Ben's Mana. "K-Kevin…"

Ben buried his rage for the moment, whispered sweet nothings, and let Gwen have free access to his Mana because he knew she needed it like a security blanket. As he held her, Ben was struck with an idea and surrounded her mind in a tight protective wrapping of his Mana. "It's ok, Gwen. You're safe."

Gwen looked up after she managed to regain a little composure. "Ben, he…did things."

Ben said nothing, gently rubbed her back, and continued to hold Gwen until she nodded and looked at him. _I'm not better but functional now._

Meanwhile, Ben convened a war council in his mind with Belecus and Serena. The "room" was unusually silent as Ben looked at the pair of consciousnesses.

_That bastard! _Serena growled as Belecus looked at her in shock. _He took advantage of her love and compassion! I vote we destroy Dagon!_

_We don't have time for deliberation. _Ben's anger flared on full display as a roaring fire licking around his form. _Even if we did, your powers are limited to this universe. Dagon exists outside of our universe. _

Belecus spoke up. _Don't be too hasty to dismiss our power, Benjamin._ Belecus seemed to smile. _If we lure him into our dimension, he will be at our mercy._ _Why do you think he doesn't face us directly? If he were to do such a thing, he would need leverage to insure we would not destroy him. _Belecus' tone turned dark. _He believes Gwen will be such leverage._

_His plan isn't to kill her but to drive her insane. _Ben realized to his horror. _He knows I can't hurt Gwen, so he thinks if breaks her, I won't fight!_

_That's his secret. _Belecus said. _He needs you beaten BEFORE he crosses dimensions._

Ben's eyes hardened as he came to himself and looked down at Gwen in his arms. "He won't get you, Gwen. I promise."

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	14. A Charming Encounter

**Author's Note: **I always thought Eunice was a wasted good character with ample options to expand on, so I put her in the fic. I hope you guys like what I have planned! Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen: A Charming Encounter

Far away from Earth on Primus, Eunice tossed and turned in her quarters. The nightmares started about a weak ago with no apparent trigger, and they continued to happen every time Eunice closed her eyes. Eunice had no idea how to breach the subject with Azmuth. Her fear that he wouldn't understand was immense, so in fitful sleep, she continued to suffer alone.

_Sunder was chasing her. She gripped tightly to Ben's hand before he and Gwen shared a look. With a quick motion, Ben vaulted Eunice forward out of his grip and turned to face Sunder while she watched._

_While she stood transfixed, Mana tendrils, blood red in color and with the putrid scent of death, wrapped around Eunice. She cried out for help, but the tendrils gagged her before the duo could hear._

_Suddenly, Eunice felt exhausted. Sleep sounded beautiful as she forgot where she was._

_A voice called to the artificial human and whispered, "Yes, enter your eternal sleep!"_

_The idea sounded so welcoming, but a part of Eunice still clung on and fought the command. "Someone! Help me!"_

_A blinding flash of purple Mana exploded around Eunice as the entity that formerly bound her screeched in pain. Before Eunice could identify her savior, she always woke up._

This time was no different. Eunice woke up in a cold sweat, her hands gripping the cover tightly. With a quick check of her surroundings, Eunice affirmed she was in her room on Primus. Once her fears abated enough, Eunice got out of the bed and changed out of her sleeping clothes after a shower.

With a look at the mirror between the washroom and her bedroom, Eunice checked her hair and clothing. The blonde wore a suit that looked reminiscent of a Plumber uniform but was much simpler and utilitarian in design. With a frown of concentration, Eunice put on her boots and gloves to finish dressing and walked away in search of Azmuth.

"Azmuth, I need to talk to you." Eunice said as she looked around his lab.

"In here…" Azmuth paused as his voice echoed from a kitchen area in the complex and seemed to ponder for a moment. "What is it, Eunice?"

The blonde woman walked over to the table and sat down across from Azmuth on the elevated side built for her. "I keep having this recurring dream about the day you sent Sunder to capture me."

Azmuth nodded. "The subconscious upheaval will pass in time."

Eunice sighed. "It's more than that, Azmuth!"

For a moment, Azmuth thought he was dealing with an adolescent and moody Galvan and gave a sigh he was certain his parents had done in his presence more times than he could count. "Please, continue then."

Eunice nodded. "I'm restrained in red energy that reminds me of Gwen's, but it's bleeding and smells horrible. Just as I'm almost too weak to continue fighting the thing restraining me, a blast of brilliant purple rains down like a teleportation beam and destroys my restraints. Before I can thank or even look at the person who saved me, I wake up."

Azmuth stroked the tendrils of his "beard" in thought for a moment. _She was attacked by a being with red Mana and saved by one that generated purple energies. _Azmuth visibility grimaced at the thought of more mystic shenanigans.

"I suggest you go to Earth and talk with the Tennysons' grandmother." The First Thinker finally said after a moment more of thought.

"Azmuth, don't you need me here, though?"

The Galvan looked at her and shook his head. "I can handle myself for a few rotations." He told her. "Something tells me you need to do this."

Eunice nodded before Azmuth got up and programmed the teleport beam for her. After a few minutes of tinkering with the settings to adjust accordingly for a Human rather than Galvan passenger, the Galvan turned to the artificial Human.

"It's ready." Azmuth said as he motioned to the device with a hand scanner off of the center. "Stand in the inner circle and put your hand on the pad to activate it." He told her. "You will arrive in the woods just outside of Bellwood."

Eunice nodded, "Thank you." Eunice waved even as her form dissolved into light. "Bye, Azmuth."

The old Galvan looked down after the beam spun away. A worried look grew on his features. "Be careful, Little Tadpole."

Eunice landed on Earth with a groan on Earth. Eunice mentally groaned. _That's the last time I teleport for a while._

As Eunice walked through the darkened woods with the moon giving enough light to see but not much more, she heard a woman pacing and growling to herself.

"Dagon assaults us again!" The woman growled. "He came first and took my father." The woman balled a fist and punched a tree, but her knuckles didn't bleed. Eunice was certain they should have with the force imparted to them by the tree, but they remained untouched. "He has taken my home!" The strange woman growled as purple light glowed in her eyes. "I must fight, but I don't have the power to defeat him when he can command all the Mana in Legerdemain!"

Eunice moved a bit closer to the stranger with white hair dressed in a purple coat. Somehow, Eunice couldn't understand the means with which the stranger managed it, but the blonde knew she had been found.

"You're a strange one." The white-haired woman said before she stood and walked over. "You remind me of That Upstart Tennyson."

"What?"

"You look a lot like her." The woman said. "Do you have her powers?"

Eunice shivered. "…and if I did?"

"You would be exactly what I need." The woman said. "Call me Charmcaster."

Some minor form of genetic memory from Gwen told Eunice to run and not trust Charmcaster. However, Eunice ignored this warning because something in Charmcaster's tone seemed desperate, pleading for help. "Eunice, I'm a…" The blonde searched for how to explain. "…relative of Gwen's."

Charmcaster seemed to squint for a moment. "The fact you have artificial energy paths through your body is odd."

Eunice blushed. "That's not important right now." Eunice looked at Charmcaster. A flash of memory from Gwen made Eunice blink. "Ben and Gwen are battling their own mystic problems right now." Eunice glared at Charmcaster. "So, you can swallow your pride and take me with you to liberate them or continue on a lonesome charge in there blind!"

Charmcaster nodded as a small laugh escaped her. "What are you, an artificial clone of Red?"

Eunice blinked and realized "Red" was a nickname for Gwen. "Close enough…" Eunice then looked around them. "Where's the door to this place?"

Charmcaster sighed. "Legerdemain is not a 'place' in the normal sense." Charmcaster explained patiently. "It would be more accurate to say it is another dimension."

Eunice nodded. "If that's true, a portal to the dimension can be opened anywhere."

Charmcaster shook her head. "It's not that simple, kid." The woman sighed. "I drained a lot of my personal reserves coming back to seek help after…"

Charmcaster seemed to halt. A natural urge to comfort made Eunice put a hand on the witch's shoulder. "You don't have to tell, but I'm here to listen if you do."

Charmcaster glared at her. "Two minutes and you think we're gal pals?!"

Eunice flinched. She could feel the stabbing anguish of loneliness in Charmcaster at that moment. Her voice remained calm and soft. "Sorry…I see you're in pain and was just trying to help."

"Empath…" Charmcaster muttered as her eyes lit up slightly.

"A what?"

"An Empath is a type of Healer." Charmcaster explained as her earlier anger bled away at Eunice's innocent and pure voice. "Those are the Healers that deal with the mind."

Eunice only nodded. "When will you be able to go back to Legerdemain to face this monster?"

Charmcaster sighed in dejected resignation. "It will be a few days, but by then, everything will be lost."

Eunice glared at her before the younger girl closed her eyes and focused on the artificial energy rolling through her body. Azmuth once explained that her personal power core, much like the Omnitrix after it, was theoretically able to run forever. With that much power, Eunice and Charmcaster could easily open a portal. "Take my energy."

Charmcaster jumped and paled. "By the Black Pit, no!"

"Why not?"

"It's a Magi culture taboo to take another being's energy."

Eunice raised a brow. "Could you guide the energy I generate to fashion a portal?"

Charmcaster thought for a second. _It would take some concentration to keep the energies separated…unless her artificial version repels natural Mana. _"In theory, it could work." Charmcaster said as the light of hope showed in her eyes. "Take my hand."

As Eunice did, she grimaced, grit her teeth, and bit back a scream as electric fire ran through her body along the artificial micro-metal filaments that connected her body to her power core. _I hope this doesn't last too LONG!_

Charmcaster could feel Eunice's pain with their energies only separated by a thin mental barrier Charmcaster constructed. Even though it was satellite pain, Charmcaster still felt tears roll down her cheeks because it was still so intense. "It will be over quickly. I promise. UT NOS YAWATOXIP!"

A bright purple portal that crackled and hissed because of the artificial energy used to power it came into being not a millisecond later. As Charmcaster held the portal open, she watched in stark horror as Eunice's body seemed to vanish and was replaced by a green cylinder that clattered to the ground. Charmcaster closed her eyes and shivered as tears threatened to fall before she took the green cylinder and walked through the portal with heaviness in her heart.

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, Eunice."

Once Charmcaster entered the portal and came out the other side, rage filled her. The only home she'd known and grown up in was in shambles. Rock creatures looked pained as they worked to repair the "roads" of stone that stretched and crisscrossed across the dimension. Their healthy magenta Mana lines tainted and polluted with sickly red Mana that smiled vile. Charmcaster could feel all the Mana in Legerdemain twisting and bending gradually into this noxious form.

Dagon's laugh echoed in her mind. "_What do u have here?" _He asked in tone of mocking.

Charmcaster blocked him out and reactivated the strange device that reminded her of an Omnitrix. Charmcaster was happily stunned when Eunice came back into being in a bright green flash

"You have some explaining to do, Eunice."

Eunice glared at her lightly. "I will later. Right now, concentrate on Dagon!"

Charmcaster felt a smile creep onto her face. "As you wish, Princess…"

Eunice shook her head and felt her body tense before familiar red tendrils captured the duo. Eunice felt hot anger roll through her and glared straight ahead as she felt Dagon study them. "Do your worst!"

A dark chuckle echoed through Charmcaster and Eunice's minds before he began to speak. _"This one is machine and nerve, and has her mind concluded. This one is but flesh and fight, and is the more deluded."_

"I'll show you 'deluded', you bastard!" Charmcaster growled before she screamed as she tried to access her Mana only to get a sharp, searing pain though her body.

"Charmcaster!" Eunice said in quiet fear for her friend. Eunice closed her eyes and remembered the pain she felt before she deactivated. With the threads of an idea forming in her mind, Eunice focused and coated her body in the artificial bio energy of her core. Like ice next to a hot fire, the solid tendrils that held Eunice seemed to evaporate when they interacted with her energies. Eunice smiled and landed in a crouch before she tore the bindings away from Charmcaster.

Charmcaster could only stare in shock as she was freed from the toxic Mana bindings. "What? How did you do that?"

"The artificial and the natural don't mix." Eunice explained. "I've effectively learned to weaponize my artificial energy."

"This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Blondie." Charmcaster said with a devious grin. "Now, let's kick Dagon's ass out of Legerdemain before he can cross between here and Earth!"

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	15. Setting Things Straight

Chapter Fifteen: Setting Things Straight

Later that day, Natalie gently roused Ben. "You don't need to sleep all day."

Ben groaned and slowly sat up. "What time is it?"

Natalie looked over at the clock and decided to have a little fun. "Es cinco y media de la tarde."

Ben blinked. He looked at his aunt's mouth in confusion because she said, "It's 5:30 in the afternoon." However, Ben felt like he was watching a dubbed Anime because, while he heard English, his aunt's mouth didn't match up with the words.There was something odd about this, and Ben couldn't understand it in his half-awake state.

Then, Natalie started laughing. "I'm just having some fun with the translator nanobots left in your body from the Watch."

Ben only nodded with a groan. "Let me wake up before you mess with me, Aunt Nat."

Natalie kindly nodded. "Wake Gwen please." The woman requested. "Dinner is on the table, and I laid out an extra place setting for you." The mother stopped for a moment. "Frank wants to talk to you."

Ben turned pale. They may have accepted Ben and Gwen, but that didn't mean Ben was safe from Frank's possible wrath. If anything, it only put a bullseye on Ben's back if he screwed up. With that at the forefront of Ben's mind, he headed down with Gwen to the dinner table after he woke her.

The dining table had four dishes on it besides the cutlery and plates: a bowl of rice, one of gravy, a plate with hamburger patties on it and finally a pan of biscuits. The speed looked good to Ben.

However, the hero's eyes quickly drifted to a polished six-gun at Frank's right. He felt an icy fear as he looked to the pistol but fought it back down. _Why does the mere sight of the thing terrify me?!_

Frank nodded in Ben's direction when he saw the boy's unconscious reaction of absolute fright at the sight of the six-shooter and looked down at the weapon while Gwen started eating, albeit nervously. Then, the father looked back up at his daughter's boyfriend. "Do you know the story of Carter Slade?"

Ben raised a brow. "Isn't he in comics as an old western Devil's Bounty Hunter?"

Frank nodded. "That's the story your grandfather told the creators of the Caretaker, yes." He sighed. "The real story is much more…" Frank patted the Colt .45 methodically to bring Ben's attention to the handgun for a moment. "…interesting. For example, his name was Tennyson not Slade. To give him the tools he needed, a prince in Hell had demons forge pistols in the Phlegethon. Carter was given these pistols because the fire in the river imbued them with the ability to rend the soul into nothingness with their bite."

Ben stared at the pistol in renewed terror for a only to be soothed by a rush of Gwen's Mana.

"Carter Tennyson is your ancestor, and his pistols have been pasted down in our family for generations. I have one and your father has the other."

Ben shivered as he read between the lines. "Yes sir."

Frank nodded. "I'm glad we can understand each other." Frank our his hands in a "power pyramid" and looked Ben in the eye as he calmly moved his plate to the side. "How do you plan on supporting Gwen and any family that comes along?"

_Tread carefully, Ben. _Serena advised. _You may love Gwen, but you didn't raise her._

"Gwen and I are both being paid now for our police work." Ben said calmly. "It may be odd hours, but we are getting part-time pay." Anticipating his uncle's next question, Ben added: "With the stock options I've been able to invest in with Grandpa Max's guidance, that money is slowly growing as I sit on it and put a percentage of my check in the investment account every month."

Gwen nodded. "I'm doing the same with my check, Daddy." Gwen restrained a grin when she saw her Dad relax at her wording. "Ben is going to go full-time with the EDF after high school, but I'm going to at least get a masters degree in Psychology before I go full-time with him." Gwen mentally groaned as she watched her father lock up again at the mention of her as a full-time EDF operative.

When Frank showed confusion at the acronym, Ben explained. "EDF, Earth Defense Force, is the Sol System's Plumber 'precinct'." When Frank nodded, Ben continued. "There are jurisdictional protocols that say Plumbers who are not affiliated with the EDF must ask permission to operate in the Sol System to keep outside interference to a minimum."

Frank raised a brow. "You both want to be interstellar police?!"

Ben and Gwen nodded before Ben spoke seriously to the man. "I've been doing this since Gwen and I were ten." Ben shivered. "I almost lost Gwen twice." The brunette blinked away tears as the shattered look of a combat veteran looked back at Frank instead of a hormone-driven, lustful teen. "We go together."

Frank felt his heart clinch at the fear in Ben's eyes, pleading not to be denied. "You have this planned well, Benjamin…"

Ben tensed and gave a fleeting look at the revolver that still rested by his uncle's left hand. "Yes, sir…"

"…I would expect the man who pledges to care for my daughter to treat her like a queen." Frank softly smiled. "I think you are that man." The man stood and offered Ben his hand which Ben took after he schooled his emotions.

With Gwen's father content, Ben felt a mountain of fear and tension he didn't realize he held slide from his back and smiled warmly at Frank. With a slight nod shared between the men, the tension formerly in the room evaporated, and the family returned to their meal among the peaceful sounds of eating and small talk.

_You did great, Ben, _Serena congratulated from inside his head. _I'm proud of you._

The similarities between Serena and Ben's Mom briefly once again came to the teen's mind before another thought replaced it. _Why is Belecus so quiet?_

_I've been preoccupied with a battle in Legerdemain. _Belecus' gruff voice spoke up. _That is for tomorrow. Right now, you need to rest._

Ben agreed with Belecus as a yawn caught him by surprise. "Dinner was wonderful, Aunt Nat, but it's been a long day, and I need to get to bed."

Natalie and Frank half expected Gwen to object vehemently until Natalie realized Gwen could see the weariness in Ben's mystic aura better than Natalie could. If Natalie could tell Ben was tired, Gwen should be and was able to see exactly to what extent that tiredness went. However, a sickly red taint that pulsated and seemed to glow brighter as Ben's aura grew duller worried Natalie as she watched her nephew leave and go back toward his own home.

"Go rest, Ben." Gwen said after she smiled and kissed Ben lightly before he left, giving the less experienced Magus a brief boot. "You're exhausted."

Early Wednesday, the following morning, Gwen woke up coughing and hacking. It felt as if her lungs were burning like she was trying to breathe through an atmosphere of cigarette smoke. The foul smell hung in the air like a screeching vulture, impatiently signaling something ominous and deadly. However, as Gwen looked around, she saw no visible source of the irritant that painfully affected her airway. _What's going on?!_ Gwen's mind yelled in fear and mild panic as she stumbled out of bed and ran for the front door.

Once outside, Gwen felt her breathing normalize and sighed with relief as the formerly debilitating pain left her. Gwen looked up at the stars and, after some quick math in her head, guesstimated the time to be two in the morning. With a groan of frustration at losing sleep, Gwen shook her head and went for a run in the cool of the early morning.

As she ran, Gwen's mind cleared. Neither of her parents smoked. Her Mom hated the smell, and her Dad was too health conscious to do that to himself and by extension his family. That left one very likely and disturbing explanation: Dark Magic. This however wasn't normal Dark Magic. A spell like this would require some of the victim's blood to properly bind the spell to the intended recipient and, much like the Dark Side of the Force, adversely affect the caster. That left a burning question: Who cast the spell?

Then, Gwen's mind came to a crashing halt when she felt a foreign ripple of pain. _Oh, god! Ben!_ As that thought drove her, Gwen ran as fast as she could to Ben's house to help him with the Mana Drainage Spell she could feel echoes of in their Bond.

Ben woke up to pain so great he could barely move. Invisible weights in combination with lead flowing sluggishly through Ben rendered him motionless and unable to move. Inside his mind, Serena and Belecus tried to calm the young wizard.

_Calm your mind, Benjamin,_ Serena offered. _If your mind is in chaos, we cannot help you._

Ben's mind raced. Every time he would try to calm down, a vision of Gwen screaming as she is taken in the jaws of a Wildvine, being drained by Kevin as Ben watched, or worse would a sail his mind and send him wailing and fighting hard to overcome the weight of his own body to move and do something about the visions.

Gwen felt the scream of pain more than heard it as her own Mana twisted to a slightly less painful degree due to Ben and Gwen's state of Entanglement. _Hang on Ben!_ The redhead yelled mentally as she sent as much of her Mana as she dared to him in his compromised state. _I'm coming!_

Exhausted after what felt like an eternity of fighting the mind games, Ben shivered as a lone tear escaped his right eye. _I'm sorry, Gwen._

Gwen forced herself to move still faster as the feeling of defeat slammed into her and almost knocked her to the ground with sobs and bitter tears. _Oh, no you don't!_ Gwen mentally roared as Carl and Sandra, in their nightclothes after Ben's screaming woke them, met Gwen at the door and ushered the redhead to Ben's bedside.

Gwen's heart twisted in pain as she looked at him twitching weakly and softly crying as he whispered her name in a broken voice. With his face white from weakness and the low moaning of sorrow and pain, Ben looked like the classic representation of a wandering, miserable ghost. His pale skin also seemed paper thin and made his arteries and veins visible as they pulsed weakly with blood flow. His eyes, sunken into his skull, seemed to have only a faint sheen of life left in them as the once vibrant orbs of green now looked almost black with the dark shade they now held.

"I'm here, Ben." Gwen said as tears fell on her boyfriend's body. Gwen growled, gripped his hand, and focused on expelling the corrupted Mana. Gwen vaguely registered sounds behind her as a drawer slid open and something metallic slid across the bottom of the drawer before Gwen heard the tale-tale _cla-click! _as someone pulled the hammer back on a revolver. Gwen didn't bother to look away from Ben and sent wave after wave of her own Mana crashing into the foul corruption, forcing it into retreat.

With a gasp, the corruption left Ben.

Then, it formed into a large insectoid beast as the "flames" of corrupt Mana licked along the creature's semisolid form. It screeched in rage and lunged toward Gwen as its wings beat the air quickly in an angry fashion only to explode in a brief but intense blast of heat a split second later.

Gwen wondered briefly what just happened until her mind registered the report of a gunshot as it echoed through the house and gradually died. Ben and Gwen looked at the space where the creature had stood a moment before and backtracked it to a smoking barrel of a revolver in Carl's hand.

"Kids," he chided sternly at their gobsmacked expressions. "THAT was a Lucubra, a servant of Dagon."

Ben looked at his father. The young man wanted to say he knew that because of the way the thing tortured him but decided to ask a question that was less confrontational. "Where'd you get the gun?"

Carl smiled wickedly. "You didn't think Frank was joking about the .45 he had while he talked with you about Gwen." The father raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"

Ben decided not to question how his Dad knew about the talk he had over dinner with Uncle Frank.

_It's a Daddy-daughter thing._ Serena answered. _If the Dad can scare off a boyfriend, he's no good for her._

"I sorta did." Ben confirmed with a nod. "You mean it can…"

Carl nodded to his son and answered, "They both can."

Ben suddenly felt a wave of unease roll over him at the thought. _No pressure…_

Gwen only sighed. "Stop it, Uncle Carl!"

The man chuckled before he looked out the window to see the sun rising. " I can call in and say you're both too sick to go to school." Carl sighed. "Frank would likely agree. I'm sure you need to sleep." He looked wearily at his niece and son. "You've both had a rough night."

Ben shivered at the thought of sleep while Gwen shook her head. After the night they had, they might as well have been tormented by Freddy Kruger from _A_ _Nightmare on Elm Street_. Sleep was the furthest thing from their minds. Gwen said as much and raced to the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

As the shower ran upstairs, Carl raised a brow at his son. "I didn't see her bring a change of clothes earlier."

Without really thinking, Ben shrugged. "She has spare clothes in my room just as I do in hers." Ben looked up as the shower stopped a few moments later. "We've had that arranged for years in case of emergency."

Carl looked at his son with a moment of disbelief and slight anger before it quickly faded away when he realized Ben talked of work-related emergencies. "That's understandable."

Ben noticed this but didn't comment on it. The hero may be a teenager, but one didn't go toe to toe with the manipulative tactics his rogues gallery regularly used without learning methods of self-control and restraint. "I know what I'm doing, Dad. I promise."

**Please Read and Review.**


	16. Old Wounds

**Author's Note: **A certain "Halo 3" scene has been driving me nuts, so I worked it somewhat into this chapter to try and get it out. Enjoy.

Chapter Sixteen: Old Wounds 

Ben couldn't shake this feeling of unease as he and Gwen walked to school about fifteen minutes after the conversation with his Dad. _Belecus, I need you to be ready._ Ben thought as he and Gwen walked into the school.

Students chatted and calmly milled about to get ready for their classes. Bullies bothered the smarter and/or younger students. It was normal. However, Ben remained tense. He didn't like the idea of Dagon minions showing up at any moment and attempting to assert control over a larger body of sentient beings. Thus, Ben was understandably on edge as he entered his first class of the day after he and Gwen parted ways: English.

With Cash and JT no longer willing to to bother him, Ben let his academic side run free. Contrary to popular opinion, especially one of a certain redhead Magus, Ben always had smarts. Self-preservation drove him to a sort of "survival mode" in elementary school where he played the fool to keep JT and Cash from bullying him even more for his intellect than they already were because he was different. It worked for the most part. However, when Gwen began to tutor him under the impression he was "being a doofus", she was quick to realize how smart Ben truly was and coached him slowly out of the façade he had fabricated for protection.

Ben smiled fondly at those memories and saw no harm in sharing them with Belecus and Serena as he focused on "Romeo Juliet". Ben sighed and shook his head as he heard students around him grumbling about the "archaic" speech.

He internally laughed. _They should try reading Chaucer unedited and raw._

True, Shakespeare had a knack for inventing words and turns of phrase, but if one read something from a similar time that was simpler, like say the English Authorized Version of the Bible for example, it was easier to understand because the reader became accustomed to the older word forms. That was something Gwen showed Ben when he complained about the fact to her. They spent a few hours reading "Hamlet" together, and by the end of the work, Ben no longer halted at the formerly strange speech.

Back to the current class, Ben couldn't help a sigh. He had seen many versions of the play as a movie, and he couldn't understand why people hated it. In the Prologue, Shakespeare specifically warned against doing what the protagonists do, a cautionary tale of sorts. There was always a single scene of the work that made Ben shiver no matter how many times he read or saw it however: Juliet taking the potion and falling asleep in the tomb while Romeo finds her and kills himself. It hit too close to home for the young man.

_I hope Gwen is having less of a headache in Trig._

As if to answer, Gwen's voice called to Ben. _We have a situation._

_What is it?_

Gwen closed her eyes and put her right index and pointer fingers on her temple. Then, she opened her eyes as blue Mana filled them. _Charmcaster and Eunice have been captured by Dagon._

The class would have freaked out at Gwen's power had a large window framed in Blood Mana not been the focus of the entire class. Emily seemed to be the only one with a look of anger on her face in the place of fright as she and the rest of the class stared at what seemed to be another world where two people struggled to get free.

Emily looked over at Gwen and noted the calm anger in Gwen's body language. _She knows these people._

In the center of the scene, Charmcaster and, to Gwen's surprise, Eunice struggled against the Mana in which they were wrapped. The sky of Legerdemain seemed to pulse and roll angrily around the two prisoners. Every attempt to disrupt or absorb the Mana that held them resulted in Dagon's sick laughter as the women screamed in pain.

"Gwen," Eunice whispered weakly as tears streaked down her face. "Please, help us."

After another blood-chilling scream from Eunice, the horror show ended, and the "window" dissipated into nothing. Gwen suddenly felt flashes of her brief time as Ghostfreak's meat puppet come back to her and started sobbing as the horrid, oily, sickly phantom sensation of the alien's protoplasm crawled up her skin like talons closing around prey.

Knowing he had to do something but ignorant of the foolishness of what he was about to do, the teacher reached out. As his hand made contact with Gwen's shoulder, the redhead screamed and attacked. Gwen shoved the man away with surprising force.

"Get away from me!"

Suddenly, the classroom door flew open and rattled as it hit the wall. In the blink of an eye, Ben held Gwen tight. The young man looked at the teacher, who nodded and backed away slowly until Gwen came to herself.

"What happened?" She asked as she looked up at Ben in a bit of worry and fear.

"You had a flashback, Gwen." The brunette told her. When he saw the fear in her eyes, Ben quickly added, "You didn't hurt anyone."

The teacher nodded gently and finally spoke when he saw Gwen was no longer shaking. "What was that?"

Ben sighed and shook his head. "It's a long story." He looked at the man. "One which I don't have time to elaborate on right now."

Gwen glared at the whiteboard and started to write runes in a circle. Emily blinked because for a moment the runes shifted to poetic verse.

Before Emily could try to read the glowing script, a voice whispered in her mind, ancient and powerful. _Faint Magus shadows in thy blood make clear what others shall not see._

When the girl looked again, the runes returned to their pictographic forms. As Gwen pulled her hand from the board, the runes glowed sky blue and began to spin until they blurred into a mystical portal.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked, worried because she could be reacting and not really thinking. "I care about Eunice, too, Dweeb; but we can't just charge in without a plan when facing what amounts to a god."

Gwen looked at Ben. "That was strange." Gwen said as she seemed to come back to herself. "For a moment, we started acting like each other."

"We can figure that out later." Ben said as he looked at her. "Right now, we're the only ones who can help her."

As they walked through the portal, school forgotten, Gwen looked at Ben. "Why was Charmcaster trapped with Eunice?" Gwen asked as she considered the situation. "If anything, she would help Dagon."

Ben shivered. Something deep inside him twisted with revulsion at the thought. "Think about this, Gwen." Ben said softly. "Charmcaster has been manipulated and used her whole life." Ben sighed. "Hex convinced Charmcaster she was worthless without his 'guidance'." Ben shook his head. "She found her stride after Hex was regressed to a toddler by the Fountain of Youth." Ben continued walking through the portal, aware that Serena and Belecus slowed time to a crawl and allow Gwen and Ben to let the old pains breathe. "She went after us because she was still subconsciously bound to Hex and still wanted to please him." Ben smiled and gently squeezed Gwen's shoulder. "She's had six years to discover herself."

Gwen opened her mouth and immediately countered. "Kevin had the same amount of 'recovery time', and look what happened to him!"

Ben nodded. "Kevin was scarred by a dependency he couldn't escape." Ben told her. "Charmcaster is different."

Gwen raised a brow. "Are you biased?"

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "For a little while when I was twelve or thirteen, I had a crush on her, yes." When he opened them again, the irises and pupils of Ben's eyes were overshadowed by an aqua blue-green Mana. "I chose to bind my Mana to yours, not hers."

Gwen nodded and looked at him as the fusion of their Mana colors left his eyes. "I don't know why, but knowing you were attracted to her…"

Ben looked at his girlfriend. "You felt threatened."

"Why?"

"This is still new and some part of you is scared I'll run at some point." Ben explained. "It may not be conscious though, but the doubt is there. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been phased knowing I had a crush on her."

Gwen raised a brow. "Since when do you know so much?" She asked with a small, knowing grin.

"I'm speaking for Serena." Ben said with a shrug. "She really wants this to work between you and me, so she helps me out when I need it."

Gwen just nodded as the portal suddenly shot them forward. Gwen and Ben would have landed on their faces as the portal shot them out at speed had they not been in similar situations before. Gwen rolled with the speed and landed in a crouch on one of the floating rock "roads". Ben went for a slightly more flashy entrance and jumped out of the portal into a somersault before he landed in a four-point configuration and stood only to stumble as a blast of acrid Mana assailed him. With a low growl, Ben insulated himself from the toxic environment with a field of his own Mana and forged ahead.

_I see now._ Dagon growled in his mind. _You came for HER!_

At Dagon's growling roar, Gwen screamed and fell to her knees. Ben grit his teeth and went back to help Gwen back to her feet. However, when Gwen looked back at him, her eyes pulsed with sickly coagulate red.

"You brought me along to watch you rescue Charmcaster while all I have is pain from where you murdered MY BOYFRIEND!" Gwen growled as her hands arced with the corruption, her blood darkening as it flowed more and more sluggish around her body.

"Gwen," Ben said quietly. "Stop." He shivered. "Dagon has you under his control. Fight it!"

Gwen laughed. "You would like that." Gwen ran at him. "Wouldn't you?!"

When Gwen struck, Ben fought to stay conscious. His nerves cried out as if they met a white flame. Ben stumbled and took a fighting stance. "Alright," Ben said as heaved down air and glared at Gwen while he put his left hand over his wounded chest. "Gwen, don't make me hurt you."

"Too late for that, Benji." Gwen said with a dark smile as her face continued to drain of color.

Ben shivered, frozen as his will wavered when his eyes locked onto the tainted and painful eyes of his soul that were gradually growing dimmer. "Kill me if you truly are gone."

_That's not GWEN!_

Belecus' anger fell on deaf ears as Ben sank to his knees and waited for Gwen to strike. However, the redhead hesitated before she gave a war cry and threw a punch.

"TWISTA COMBATI!"

A foot slammed into Gwen with more force than should have been possible. Then, Gwen crumpled in a heap. Eunice stood and brushed hair out of her eyes, those same eyes he and Gwen shared. She looked at Ben as the brunette ran to Gwen. Then, he looked at Eunice, held Gwen, and let out a scream that would make Vilgax run.

"Ben," Eunice said as she gently put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Gwen is only unconscious."

Ben glared at her. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

A new voice joined the group. "We saved Gwen's life, Tennyson."

Eunice shook her head with a light frown at Ben. "…and Gwen says you have a knack for entrances."

"Charmcaster…" Ben said as he held Gwen a little closer and began to slowly "spoon feed" the unconscious redhead his Mana.

"Save your breath." Charmcaster said as she held up her hand. "My home is under threat…" The silver-headed sorceress whispered. "…again." Charmcaster looked at Ben. "Right now, we are the only thing standing between that bastard and Earth." Charmcaster smiled, actually smiled at Eunice, the emotion reaching her eyes. "This time though, we have a way to fight."

Ben looked at Eunice, only then he noticed her eyes sparked and spat with unnatural energy. "Eunice…"

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	17. Ancient Past Revisited

**Author's Note: **Fair warning: I teared up as I got to the middle of the chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Seventeen: Ancient Past Revisited 

The girl in question looked at Ben in shock. "How do you think I hold the key to saving this place?!" Eunice asked when they found temporary safety in a shallow cave and now convened in a battle plan to defeat the demon and drive it back to the dimension from wince it came.

Ben shook his head. "You may be the key to defeating Dagon, but a key is useless without a lock."

Gwen looked at Ben and back at the land around them and the vastness of the mana that flowed around them. Not a single world but an entire plane of existence was currently at stake, and if they failed to stop Dagon, Gwen realized. Home was as good as already conquered.

Something drew Gwen to look at the silver-haired witch as perhaps an unconscious attempt to get away from nihilist thoughts. The look on Charmcaster's face gave away most of what she felt. Inside, the witch was a turbulent torrent of emotions. Fear, anger, hate, sadness, and pity all swirled together in a great storm to cloud the native of Legerdemain's psyche. Gwen wanted to help, but Belicus through Ben told her not to interfere. This was Charmcaster's battle and hers alone.

Memories of the past came rushing back and assaulted the young sorceress' mind. _The great war with Dagon, whom her people knew as Addwaytia, just started not long ago. Charmcaster's father, Spellbinder, fell in battle with that great evil. _Charmcaster felt the pain anew. Tears rolled down her cheeks at the last memory she had of her father before she came under the watch of Hex. _Spellbinder's phantom knelt and gave his daughter a sad smile._

_"I must go now, my sweet princess. Be a good girl for your uncle and treat him as you would me." The ghost stood and looked toward something his daughter could not see. "I will always love you…Hope."_

_Still more memories flashed before her. Charmcaster stuck by Hex for the first time. The day she found her beloved bag while Hex had her loot bodies of the fallen for objects of use to him. It took much time fore her to work up the courage to show the bag to her uncle. She thought he would be pleased; her father would have been. Instead, the girl was given a thorough magical lashing where Hex yanked at her mana painfully until the girl cried out and begged with tearful eyes for him to stop while she kept swearing by Legerdemain to be a good girl and never stray again._

Charmcaster's head jerked violently. The elder sorceress gave no audible cry, but tears silently streamed down her face as the memories of abuse and the pain that accompanied it assailed her in a single massive wave of agony. Memories swirled around her mind like a tornado. The massive storm of pain threatened to carry the silver-haired woman off into the yawning abyss of Oblivion. Charmcaster tried to cling to some happiness to keep her from being destroyed, but each hold only caved when Charmcaster remembered the strings with which Hex controlled her.

Eunice couldn't stand to watch her friend suffer while Gwen heeded Belicus and did nothing to help the sorceress. Eunice didn't know what would happen when she touched Charmcaster. Part of her worried about feedback frying them both with Charmcaster's mana currently in a wildly chaotic state. Part of Eunice worried her artificial "Omni Energy" would only hurt Charmcaster. However, as Eunice looked at Charmcaster's pained face, she resolved to help.

With a small smile that held a mountain of worry back just enough, Eunice grabbed Charmcaster's hand. Copied memories from Gwen's childhood experiences with the witch joined the maelstrom. _Charmcaster betraying Hex to save the Tennysons after she and Gwen spoke._ Eunice smiled and, using a meditation technique Asmuth taught her, began to manipulate the memory. _Eunice had ten-year-old Gwen reach and put her hand on Charmcaster's shoulder_.

_"You don't have to bear this alone." "Gwen" smiled. "I can help you."_

_"No, you can't!" Charmcaster protested. "I'm worthless."_

_Eunice made herself appear in the phantom Gwen's place as the memory of the talk with younger Gwen faded back into the howling storm of Charmcaster's mind. "You have honor and integrity." Eunice glared at an image of Hex in the storm. It froze and came down to eye level. "He tried to drive that from you." Eunice growled. "He tried to make you as beastly as he is and failed."_

_Eunice smiled as Charmcaster saw herself saving the Unitrix core after Eunice exhausted herself to open a portal._

_"You are more worthy of compassion and mercy than you realize, Charmcaster." Eunice smiled and pulled down Charmcaster's last memory of her father. "Spellbinder could see the hope in your eyes." Eunice smiled. "I can, too. Take my hand."_

Charmcaster woke up with her hand in Eunice's and slowly drew her hand back to herself as a small smile at the affectionate feelings she hadn't felt since her father died. Charmcaster stood up and looked at the assembly. There was new resolve and power in her eyes now. Instead of a wounded kitten, a roaring tiger looked at the group.

"Eunice's energy will be able to purge Legerdemain, but she doesn't have enough to do it herself." Charmcaster nodded at Gwen with the look of a soldier on her face. "Red, you and I will act as regulators for Eunice to keep the feed steady and constant." Charmcaster smirked at Benjamin. "You, mighty, late-blooming upstart will power this thing."

"Why me?" Ben asked.

Charmcaster chuckled. "You basically have a two universes of Mana at your disposal thanks to Belecus and Serena, if they agree to help."

Ben paused for a moment and nodded. "Belecus figured it out long before you did. He just convinced Serena after nearly a day and a half if debate." Ben seemed irritated for a moment. "For the record, I hardly slept last night thanks to them."

"**It was crisis situation meeting, Ben.**" Serena stated. "**Emergency Protocol applies to those.**"

"**You should know,**" Belecus growled. "**You're the one who suggested we alter the Bylaws of Order.**"

"I know." Ben muttered. "I was honestly hoping you two would learn to be more civil because of my changes."

"Then, we are agreed," Charmcaster said with a nod. The witch looked at Eunice. "Gwen and I will try our best to keep the energy flow from overwhelming you." Charmcaster promised. "This is your decision, though." The woman said as she put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "If you don't want to, I won't force you."

"You saved my life," Eunice reminded her. "It's time I repay your kindness by saving your home."

Something about the way Eunice spoke made an uncomfortable rock settle in Charmcaster's gut. As soon as Charmcaster laid her right hand on Eunice's shoulder with Gwen on the other, the unease relaxed somewhat. Then, Charmcaster felt the influx of energy and tensed unconsciously at the strength of the energy flow from Ben. Through the network of flesh and energy the team created, Charmcaster could feel the peace Ben gave Red as his energy flowed through her, unencumbered and free. The state of ease between them made Charmcaster jealous for a moment, but a cry of pain in front of her shocked Charmcaster back to reality.

_Eunice!_

_«Back down, Ben!» _Charmcasterordered over the network of interconnected Mana as all in the connection began to share Ben's fiercely glowing green eyes to show the amount of energy built up in all their bodies. _«It's too much!»_

_«You cut back…now...» _Eunice growled though the pain was noticeable. _«…and we lose. KEEP POURING IT ON!»_

After another moment, Charmcaster could feel the strain in Eunice's artificial body. It felt as if the construct was about to fly apart under the stress of restraining power dumped into it. Charmcaster almost broke the connection to ease the stress on Eunice.

Before the sorceress of Legerdemain could, however, an agonizing cry ripped through the land. Then, a subsonic frequency rumble and blinding flash of electric green light blinded Charmcaster and sent her to the ground before a deafening explosion took her hearing for a few moments.

When Charmcaster looked up again, her heart rose with happiness. Her homeland no longer looked sickly but normal and healthy. The euphoria was dashed short however when Charmcaster looked over and saw a sparking light out of the corner of her eye. The silver-haired sorceress stared for what seemed like eternity at the sight before her as Ben and Gwen walked up to join her.

Ben looked like he was trying to be strong and failing. Gwen's eyes glistened with wet tears. Finally, she couldn't bare it anymore and buried her face in Ben's chest as quiet sobs softly broke into existence.

_I may have lost, _Dagon mocked Charmcaster, the demon's voice growing weaker as it spoke. _…but pain can be sweeter than victory._

Charmcaster managed a few steps as her body shook with restrained emotions toward the smoking and sparking cylinder before her knees gave. The woman caught herself with her hands and leaned back to sit on her heels as she picked up the burnt and ruined core. Not having the will to look at the moment, Charmcaster only held the device to her chest. With the metal and circuits so close to her, Charmcaster found the strength to release her pain.

A scream unlike anything heard before erupted from the sorceress before she began to shake violently, dropped the core, and sobbed into her hands.

The core clattered to the stone and was noticed by a rock creature. With surprising tenderness for such a being, the creator took the coverings off and reached to begin tinkering. Before it could however, Charmcaster looked up and almost blasted the rock critter to bits. Something stopped her however and caused her to walk over and look at the creature's intentions.

"What are you doing to her?"

The creature seemed to be trying to disconnect something from the larger device. Charmcaster looked at it in curiosity. Then, she saw the green power core was cracked and looked ready to blow any moment. Quickly, Charmcaster looked at the Unitrix and cursed as she tried to reach the power core. When her fingers proved too thick for the small openings to the core. Charmcaster growled and produced microfilaments of Mana, delicately removed the unstable source and threw it as far as she could. When the power source impacted a walkway, the explosion shook the realm.

When Charmcaster was certain the blast would not repeat itself, Hope turned her attention back to the Galvan device. _Whoever built this either didn't know Mana existed or was too scared to use it. _She sighed. _A genetic manipulation device like this would be much more stable with a Mana core instead of an artificial stand-in. _Charmcaster shook her head with a laugh at the simple fix that would bring Eunice back, stood, and slowly walked over to Gwen as to not jar anything important loose.

When she offered the machine to Gwen, the redhead looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Charge Eunice with your Mana, Gwen." Charmcaster said calmly. "Since she was built from your DNA, your Mana can revive her."

When Gwen gripped the device to take it from Charmcaster, the redhead felt an instant drain to her Mana. When Ben saw Gwen teeter, he glared at Charmcaster, ready to kick her ass.

Something truly strange began to happen after a moment though. The green device seemed to be healing as Gwen held it. In addition, the device began to change colors from a vibrant green usually associated with the Omnitrix to a light teal a shade or two darker than Tetrax or Diamondhead.

When Gwen handed the Unitrix back to Hope, the witch's hands shook and continued to shake as she activated the device. A moment later, it released the same teal color. Then, there Eunice lay in place of the device.

The blonde slowly got to her feet with a groan. Before she could turn, Eunice felt a large purple trench coat wrap around her and reform into a matching shoes and top with capris.

Ben couldn't help a grin as he saw Eunice wearing a variation of the outfit Gwen wore on their first summer trip with a key difference: a wolf stared out from her shirt.

"Hope…did we win?"

Gwen blinked. She and Ben were surprised at the name but said nothing. After all, the name was fitting for a person like Charmcaster. In spite of all life threw her way, Charmcaster kept clawing her way up and always hopes to be free of Hex. Now, that home found fruition.

"Yes," Charmcaster said softly. "Yes, we did. We're all safe."

Ben and Gwen shared a look and quietly backed away to give the two space. Then, Gwen created a portal and took herself and Ben back to Bellwood.

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